Days of our Afterlife
by Rayna Lissesul
Summary: Death can do weird things to a person's social life. For example, you get to meet new people, who sometimes turn out to be far more interesting than the people you used to know. In the Seireitei, though, 'interesting' can mean so many things...
1. Staring Contest with a Wall

Well, ladies and gentlemen, the time has come. I have decided to venture beyond the world of games and into the world of manga and anime. And so, I present to you… the disclaimer!

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Amalia) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

(Staring Contest with a Wall)

Death can do weird things to a person's social life.

For example; when you're dead, you can't talk to the people you knew when you were alive. …Kinda self-evident, I know. They're alive and you're… dead. I shouldn't have to say that, but that was just an example. But, anyway, you're dead, no more talkie to the people you knew… if they're still alive.

For another example, you also get to meet all sorts of interesting, new people. And no, I don't mean like those people who have wings and wear halos and shiny white robes. That's… somewhere else, I guess. No, in the kind of death I'm talking about, the people look just like you and me… with a few exceptions, of course. Like those people on the other side of the big white wall.

Now, I may have been called some odd things in my life, but those people (the ones on the other side of the wall, that is) are some real characters. Take their clothes, for instance. I cannot imagine that those robes (hakamas, I think they're called in plural, of course. singular is hakama) being the least bit warm! …Then again, I've never worn one, so maybe I'm wrong. Other than that, though, those people beyond the white wall just give off this… _vibe_. Like the kind you get when you know you've met someone weirder than you or someone who could seriously kick you're **a** (pardon my use of harsh letters).

Fortunately, though, there are some things in life that still apply in death. Like the fact that people still stare at you when you sit in the middle of the street. …With your legs crossed in the typical 'butterfly' fashion. …And your eyes trained on one thing and one thing only. …And when you don't respond to human contact whatsoever.

…That's what I've been doing ever since I got here. Sitting, staring, and not socializing. Now, that may not be so weird if two, count them, two factors were to change. The first; they probably wouldn't stare at me if I hadn't been sitting in the middle of the road and staring at one thing and one thing only for about two weeks. Second; they probably wouldn't stare at me if I hadn't been sitting in the middle of the road for about two weeks and staring at the wall.

The wall.

That huge, white, formidable thing that separates us from them; we normal people and those characters I mentioned earlier, the ones in the hakamas.

When I first came to here, it was already looming over me, staring at me with its huge whiteness and mocking me with its formidable 'go ahead and try to get past me'-ness. The wall was challenging me.

So, to honor the wall's most respectful and simple challenge, I promptly headed to the first open street I could find and sat down in the middle of it, roughly forty feet from the wall. And thus the staring contest began.

Now, you may question how I could possibly get in a staring contest with a wall, but I assure you that was not my true intention. You see, the 'staring contest' was but a simple ruse to throw the wall off so that I could begin planning my real exploit; to get on the other side of the wall.

Ha! Take that, wall! Because you're an inanimate object made to keep me out, once I get on the other side of you I can claim true victory!

Alas, the task may prove to be harder than I originally thought. You see, while I was sitting here engaging the wall in friendly, non-violent combat, I was also taking the opportunity to learn as much as I could about this place I was in without moving or raising suspicion. And the best way to do that is through the gossip of those around me.

From what I've gathered, this whole place I am in is called the "Soul Society", the realm where the souls of the dearly departed go. The Soul Society is broken into two parts; the Rukon District (the public placewhere the normal people live) and the Seireitei (the private placethe place where those people in the hakamas live, along with a few noble families, apparently).

The wall, apparently, is what separates the two parts and keeps them apart, along with the help of some freakishly strong people who guard the few (and I mean few only four, resting at North, South, East, and West) entrances to the Seireitei.

Fortunately, the street I happened to chose as my perch is also one of the few streets that connects with one of the few places to enter the Seireitei, thus I have already seen one of these freakishly strong guards. It gave me a chance to see why they were chosen for their positions, and I must say I was impressed.

The guard, who was inhumanly tall and muscular, got me to seriously reconsider my plans of getting past the wall he was guarding… for about half a second. After that, the wall winked at me and I got back down to the serious business of plotting.

Now, as I am sure you have already surmised that, because I knew of the guard's existence, he knew of mine, too. He actually discovered me the second night of my sitting-spree. I think I may have actually shocked him, because his eyes glanced over me the first time, then flew back to me and he jumped a little. I probably would have, too, if I hadn't been expecting a normally empty street to suddenly be occupied by some girl sitting smack-dab in the middle of it and staring right at the wall I was supposed to be guarding.

He had waved to me, either as a greeting or as more of a 'shoo'ing motion, but I took no heed. I was too busy focusing on the pretty spot of glistening white on the wall that the moon had struck at that moment.

Ever since that night he saw me, the guard opens his door at morning, noon, and midnight to see if I am still there, which, of course, I always am.

So, the week and a half (I'm pretty sure that's more accurate than my two weeks assumption) have gone by fairly normally and a bit of a routine has built up.

First, early in the morning, the guard opens the gate to see if I am still here.

And I stare.

Then, a person from one of the nearby houses comes out a drops a small plate of food by me (something they started doing four days into my vigilnot sure how I would have survived without them…).

And I stare (eating whenever I know no one's looking).

Then, the crowd arrives to see if that day is finally the day I move.

And I stare.

At noon, the guard opens the gate yet again and peeks out, only to duck back inside when he sees me staring at 'him' (even thought it's not really him I'm staring at, it's the wall).

And I stare.

Dusk comes and the people start to return to their houses, the person from earlier that day coming out to gather the used plate and utensils, dropping off another.

And I stare (and eat).

Darkness falls and the plate is gathered, sometimes accompanied by a whispered 'goodnight' from my kind caretakers.

And I stare.

Midnight, the gate opens and a head peeks out, only to quickly retreat and slam the gate shut.

And I still stare.

Thus the cycle repeats.

Sometimes it gets boring. Sometimes it doesn't. Other times, I'm too busy playing 'Pong' in my head to care. And other, other times I try to figure why I don't seem to have to sleep here… but then I quit. Thinking and staring sometimes prove to be too much for me to do at the same time, especially when whatever I'm thinking about requires me to think both seriously and analytically.

Hmm… maybe I can do something else. Maybe, while I'm staring at the wall, I can give you a quick summary of my life! Yay! That sounds good!

Okay, so I was born into a typical-ish family; including a mom, a dad, and two younger twin siblings. I lived an average life, starting preschool and going all the way up to middle school. Then, on the day that marked the halfway point between my thirteenth and fourteenth birthdays, something happened. I died.

Quick and fairly painless automobile accident; basically some jack-a (once again, sorry for the strong letters) wasn't paying attention and I wrestled with his car. Hmm, let's see, human vs. car. You do the math. So, yeah, I died, then I woke up here.

Yeah. That's about it. That's my life. Exciting, eh?

If you can't tell, my life is a bit of the reason why I am the way I am. It was so boring I decided to spice it up a little, and that's why I do things most 'normal' people wouldn't do. (normal is relative, by the way. I know, I know, I used it earlier, but that was just me being human… which involves being fickle.)

Well, that gives you a bit of background into all of this mess, and I gotta go now. The gate is opening and it's not the usual guard who's peeking his head out… oh! Someone is actually coming out! Yes! Well, later!


	2. On the Other Side

Well, ladies and gentlemen, the time has come. I have decided to venture beyond the world of games and into the world of manga and anime. And so, I present to you… the disclaimer!

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Amalia) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

(On the Other Side)

Saying Renji Abarai was angry when a messenger from the wall came and woke him and twelve thirty at night would have been considered the understatement of the century. Renji Abarai was furious. He was so furious, in fact, that the rapid increase in his spiritual pressure from his sudden mood swing woke every single shinigami in the Seireitei, as well as a few penguins in the living world.

"What do you want?" Renji growled, glaring down at the person standing outside of his door.

"P-p-pardon, sir!" The messenger saluted, trembling under the eye-daggers that were being thrown at him. "But a request has come from the eastern gate for your assistance. S-s-some kind of insurgent—"

"If there is a problem at the gate then it should be dealt with by the keeper of the eastern gate." Renji snapped, his eyes narrowing, "This kind of thing isn't something that should be brought to the Gotei unless it is absolutely necessary."

"I am a-a-a-aware of that, sir, but the eastern gate keeper was most insistent." The messenger insisted, wringing his hands, "He said that he needed your assistance right away!"

Renji's mouth pressed into a fine line and he glanced at the gate, "Did he request me specifically, or did you just come to me because I live close to the eastern gate?"

"Um…" The messenger looked down at his feet and didn't answer.

Sighing loudly and smacking his forehead, Renji shouted, "Fine! Tell the gate keeper I'll be down there shortly. Now get lost!" He glared at the messenger as he disappeared around the corner, then turned back to his room and started picking his clothes up from the floor, throwing off his sleeping haori and pulling on his lieutenants hakama. "Ridiculous." He muttered to himself angrily, pulling his hair back, "Absolutely ridiculous." Lastly, he grabbed his zanpakuto.

Dressed and wide awake, Renji walked out onto the street and shut the door to his apartment, heading down the street. As he walked, Renji looked up at the wall.

The wall.

The formidable barrier that stood between the Rukon District and the Seireitei, keeping the unworthy out, as well as a few undesirables, such as the Hollows. There were times, though, that the security was breached. Such was the case that night, apparently.

Renji scowled as he drew closer to the gate. 'This had better not be a false alarm.'

"Well?!" He shouted as he walked up and stood behind the thirty-foot-tall keeper of the eastern gate, "What appears to be the problem?"

"Ah!" The tall man jumped and spun around, the gate he was peeking out of swinging shut with a loud crash. "Lieutenant Abarai! I… I had no idea that you would be the one to—"

"Just tell me what the problem is so I can go back to sleep." Renji growled, his eyes narrowing.

"O-of course." The gate keeper murmured. He then turned back to the gate and opened it slightly, gesturing for Renji to look out.

Renji rolled his eyes, but obliged anyway.

"She's been sitting there for eleven days now." The guard whispered, pressing his eye to the crack and looking out. "She hasn't moved, she doesn't talk to anyone, I'm not even sure if she sleeps. I don't know how she does it, but she's there every morning, noon, and midnight, just staring at the wall."

Renji had to squint to see who the gate keeper was talking about, but he saw her quickly enough. The person (according to the gate keeper, a girl) was a small slip of a human soul, a small black spot barely able to stand out against the dark brown of the dirt road on which she sat. And she was, as the guard had said, staring right at the wall

"You say she's always there?" Renji asked. Upon the guard grunting an affirmative, Renji glared up at the guard with a sinister I'm-going-to-kill-you smile. "Then why couldn't this have been brought to my attention in the morning?"

"S-sir!" The guard jumped back from the gate and looked down at Renji with wide eyes, waving his hands, "What if she's a Hollow? She may even be a resident of Hueco Mundo!"

"Ha!" Renji laughed, shaking his head, "Her? A Hollow?! The girl barely has enough spiritual pressure to zap a bug, least of all actually survive in Hueco Mundo. No." He shook his head, "She's probably just a human who's recently died and is having problems accepting it."

"Then why would she stare at the wall?!" The gate keeper insisted, looking down at the lieutenant imploringly, "I mean, I would do something about it, but I'm forbidden to leave my post unless it is under direct attack, and she hasn't moved. I was just wondering if you could go and… talk to her, or something…"

Now, usually Renji would have said 'no', point blank, and gone back to bed. But this guard looked determined to have the girl dealt with in some way, even enough to send out more messengers to summon more shinigami to deal with the problem. And if the messenger managed to do something stupid, like summon Captain Kuchiki, for example, and word got back to said captain that Renji had refused to deal with the problem, then Renji would more than likely get in trouble. And that was a hassle that the lieutenant didn't want to have to deal with.

"Fine." He barked, facing the gate, "Open it."

Nodding, the gate keeper reached out and parted the two doors, making a gap large enough for the lieutenant to walk out of.

Sighing, Renji muttered, "This is the last time I do something like this" and walked out the gate. He walked down the road a short ways, then paused and turned back, barking at the guard, "Close it!"

The guard yelped and slammed the gate shut.

Sighing again, Renji turned back down the road and started walking, his eyes glancing around. Everyone appeared to be asleep, with the exception of the girl in the middle of the road. He looked back at her, taking the chance to look her over.

Even up close, she was still small. Probably about Rukia's size, now that Renji thought about it. But that was where her similarities with Rukia ended. Unlike Rukia, the girl had long brown hair that skimmed the ground slightly. Her green eyes, currently trained on the wall, were a bit small, but bright and quick with a flicker that suggested she knew perfectly well he was there, despite her intense focus on the wall. He also noticed she seemed a bit pale…

"Hey!" He barked, standing beside her and looking down at her, "What're ya up to?"

"Lookin'." She answered plainly, her voice low.

Renji blinked. 'Odd pitch coming from someone her size…' "I can see that." He replied.

She stared at the wall a bit longer, then said, "Lookin' at the wall."

"I can see that." Renji repeated, nodding, "But why?"

"Because it challenged me."

He stared at her in shock. Despite the oddness of the answer, she had said it with a perfectly straight face and without moving her eyes from the wall. 'She's dead serious…' "It 'challenged' you?" Renji repeated, quirking a brow.

"Mmhmm." She nodded slightly, her eyes still not moving. "We're in the middle of an intense staring contest."

"I see." His mouth twisted into a smirk, "And who's winning?"

She took a moment to answer, "I'd say we're fairly evenly matched, though the wall may have the upper hand because it doesn't have eyes."

Renji nodded, glancing at the wall, "I can see that as a definite advantage. The wall doesn't have to worry about blinking."

"Blinking?!" The girl repeated incredulously, not looking away from the wall but still managing to question Renji as if he were insane, "This isn't about blinking! This is about looking away! Whoever looks away first looses. If I tried to engage a wall in a 'no blinking' staring contest, I would have lost ages ago!"

"Right, of course." Renji shook his head and sighed, kneeling down, "Listen, there's something you should know…"

"Aha!" The girl suddenly leapt to her feet and started running.

Renji stared at where she had been in shock for a moment, then stood and looked to where she was going. She was running, full speed, straight for the wall. Renji looked past her, his mouth dropping open slightly. The gate was open and unguarded.

"STOP!" He bellowed, running after her, "CLOSE THE GATE! INSURGENT ATTEMPTING TO BREACH SECURITY! CLOSE THE GATE!!"

Unfortunately his cries were not answered in time. By the time the gate started to creak shut, the girl was already slipping through.

Digging into his spiritual pressure, Renji shot forward and squeezed through the gate just as it slammed shut.

"Where is she?!" He cried, looking around. He then glared at the gate keeper, "Where did she go?!"

"Uhh… right there, sir." The gate keeper muttered sheepishly, pointing right behind the lieutenant.

Renji turned sharply, tripping over his own feet in shock at what he saw.

The girl was dancing and laughing insanely, pointing at the wall, "HAH! TAKE THAT, WALL! I SO JUST GOT PAST YOU! TRY AND KEEP ME OUT, WILL YOU?! WELL YOU CAN'T, BECAUSE I'M FAST, I'M MEAN, AND I CAN DO THIS!" She then proceeded to moonwalk.

Renji, still on the ground, just stared at this display in shock.

"Having problems, Lieutenant?"

Wincing, Renji lifted his arm and looked underneath it, jumping to his feet when he saw who it was on the other side. "C-captain Ukitake!"

The man, Jushiro Ukitake, stood just to the left of the gate keeper, smiling slightly. He nodded to Renji, "Good morning, Lieutenant Abarai." He then looked over at the girl, "The insurgent you were referring to earlier, I take it?"

"Yeah." Renji admitted hesitantly, glancing over at the girl, "She doesn't seem like a threat, but…"

"No." Ukitake agreed, shaking his head, "That she doesn't." He then walked over to the girl, who was still mocking the wall. He tapped her on the shoulder, "Excuse me."

The girl immediately stopped and turned towards him, smiling widely and tilting her head, "Yes?"

He smiled kindly, "Hello. My name is Jushiro Ukitake. Who, may I ask, are you?"

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Ukitake," The girl replied, bowing, "But I'm afraid I can't answer your question. Despite the fact that you introduced yourself, thank you for that by the way, I've only known you for less than thirty seconds so you're still a stranger, and my parents told me never to talk to strangers… even though that was when I was five… or was it four?..." She trailed off, staring into space.

"I see." Ukitake said, nodding his head, "Well, how about…"

Off to the side, Renji was watching this exchanged with mixed confusion and anger; confusion at the girl's antics and anger at his own inability to stop her from getting past the gate.

'This is bad.' He thought, shaking his head as Ukitake continued to try and fail to get personal information out of the girl. 'If Captain Kuchiki finds out about this…' He shuddered, 'I'd rather not think about it.' It was the girl who snapped him out of his reverie.

"Go back to the other side of the wall?!" She shrieked, taking a step back, "I can't do that yet! I just got here!"

"But that's just it." Ukitake replied calmly, trying to get the girl to calm down, "You aren't supposed to be here to begin with. Now, if you'll just follow me…" He reached out slowly to grab her by the elbow.

"No!" The girl jerked her arm back, frowning. She then seemed to realize what she did, because she began to apologize, "I'm terribly sorry, Mr. Ukitake, but I won't be going with you. I just got on the other side of this wall after staring at it for almost two weeks, and I'm going to take my time mocking the wall."

Ukitake frowned, "I'm afraid that's out of the ques—"

"Is there a problem here, Jushiro?"

Everyone except Ukitake flinched at the ice in this person's voice, and they all turned to face whoever it was.

The person, a man with a combination of a black hakama and a white kimono over it like Ukitake, was looking directly at the girl with a disapproving glint in his eye. He pursed his lips and looked at Ukitake, his long white-ish scarf fluttering slightly.

"Byakuya." Ukitake nodded, "The situation here is not so serious that it requires the presence of two captains. Please, I'll handle it."

"I thank you for you consideration," The man, Byakuya, said, nodding to the white-haired man, "But I am afraid if that girl is from the Rukon District as I believe she is, then there is a serious problem. In addition, I must also question the presence of my Lieutenant…" He glanced at Renji, who flinched slightly.

"Captain Kuchiki." Renji muttered, bowing, "I was just answering a summons from the eastern gate keeper to deal with an insurgent…"

Byakuya Kuchiki blinked and nodded, "I see." He then looked at the girl, "I take it she is the insurgent?"

"A recent addition to the Rukon District who merely walked into the wrong place." Ukitake said, stepping forward slightly, "I assure you, Byakuya, that I am more than capable of handling the situation."

"I do question neither your reliance nor your capabilities, Captain Jushiro." Kuchiki said shortly, nodding to his fellow captain, "But I am afraid that residents of the Rukon District don't just 'walk into' the Seireitei without there having been some weakness in the security. And, as protocol dictates, there must be more than one captain present when a reevaluation of the security of the wall is required.

"Now, then." He continued, turning back to the girl, "Rather than simply reprimanding her and releasing her back into the Rukon District, I suggest we take the measures to have her properly interrogated and find out exactly how she managed to get inside."

"I jumped the wall."

Everyone present (just as a head check, that's Renji, Byakuya, Ukitake, and the keeper of the southern gate) suddenly turned to the girl and stared at her incredulously, and then even more so when she nodded seriously.

"I'm telling the truth." The girl insisted, "I walked back really really far, then ran right at the wall and jumped it. Cleared it in one and a half bounds." She paused, shrugging, "Had to stop three-quarters of the way up to have a quick cup of tea. Long jumps make me thirsty."

An uncomfortable silence settled over the area, which was cut when Byakuya said, "That is impossible."

The girl blinked and tilted her head, "Why?"

"There is a barrier," The stoic captain replied, "That extends far beyond the wall and all around the Seireitei, much like a sphere. You could not have possibly 'jumped' the wall, like you claim."

"Really?!" The girl exclaimed, looking at the wall with newfound respect, "Cool!"

"Ehem."

She turned back, smiling sheepishly and scratching the back of her head, "Sorry. I get distracted easily."

Byakuya's eyes narrowed, "Indeed." He then cleared his throat and went on, "So, seeing as your first attempt at an explanation was a lie, we have no choice but to assume that you will lie to us further. Thus, you are to be taken into custody and interrogated properly."

"Fine, fine!" The girl shouted, raising her hands. She glanced at the gate keeper and shrugged, "Sorry", then faced Byakuya again and said, "I walked through the gate."

Byakuya blinked, "Excuse me?"

The girl rolled her eyes and pointed to herself, "I." She then held out the flat of her palm and used her other hand to make her fingers dance across it, mimicking walking. "Walked." Finally, she pointed to the gate, "Through the gate." After a dumbfounded pause, she groaned and went on. "While I was looking at it, the gate opened, the guard dude poked his head out then drew it back in, the gate opened a bit wider, and he wasn't there for a moment. I assumed that he had left it unguarded, so I ran through. End of story. Oh!" She pointed to Renji, "He tried to stop me, by the way."

"Left the gate unguarded…" Byakuya threw the guard a steely look, upon which Ukitake chose the moment to speak up.

"It was my fault, Byakuya." When the other captain turned to face him, Ukitake nodded, "When I felt Renji's spiritual pressure spike earlier, I decided to come out and take a look. When I saw the guard looking through the gate, I questioned him, thus distracting him, thus giving the girl the chance to run through the gate."

This explanation led to a verbal argument between the two captains, which led to a coughing fit from Ukitake, which led to the lieutenant and the gate keeper attempting to intervene, which led to a proper distraction.

Seeing the opportunity, the girl (of course) chose to take it.

She started by inching back slowly, then followed up by taking larger steps backwards, and finally ended with turning and breaking into a full out run further into the Seireitei.

Unfortunately, she was stopped short when she ran into the chest of an extremely tall man.

"Well well well, what's going on here, Jushiro?"

Feeling the eyes of everyone in the area on her, the girl jumped back from the man's chest and spun around, scratching the back of her head and laughing nervously upon seeing the others glaring at her.

"Thank you for your help, Shunsui." Ukitake said, looking at the girl wryly.

Shunsui laughed, placing a heavy hand on the girl's shoulder and holding her in place, "No problem, Jushiro."

Ukitake then crossed his arms and looked at the girl, quirking a brow, "Well?"

She scratched the bottom of her jaw, "Umm…" Glancing to her right, she saw something that made her eyes widen. She then pointed and shouted, "LOOK! A DISTRACTION!"

…The shinigami looked.

…The girl slipped past Shunsui and ran.

…It hit the shinigami that they had been tricked.

…They watched as the girl ran right further into the Seireitei, laughing insanely the whole way.

"BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!"

…Thus waking the shinigami that ran the alarm system, thus activating the alarm, thus alerting every shinigami in the whole of the Seireitei to her existence.

"DANG IT!"


	3. On the Run

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Amalia) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

(On the Run)

In all of her life… and afterlife, she had never engaged in something this tiring. One minute she was safe and resting, the next she had a million shinigami running at her and she was running like a madman.

'At least I managed to find that one safe place and sleep for the rest of the night.'

Upon waking in the morning, though, she discovered that her 'resting place' had actually been the apartment of some fox-faced shinigami guy who hadn't really reacted to finding her sleeping on his floor, though she ran nonetheless.

'And, dang, these shinigami people are fast!'

Seriously. They were ten steps away from her one minute, then right in front of her and she was ducking hands that were grasping at her. Somehow, though, she managed to evade them every time.

'Maybe it had something to do with those 'flash steps' one shinigami said I could do… then again, maybe not.'

Whatever the reason, she avoided and dodged every single (and group of) shinigami that came at her from dawn until twilight, at which point she was promptly cornered by almost every single captain in the Seireitei.

The one exception, she learned, was the old guy she was brought before when the other twelve shinigami captains managed to bind, gag, and carry her to some huge meeting room.

'Can't really call it a meeting room, though.' She thought to herself, looking around, 'There's only one seat and no table.'

"Remove the gag."

Upon having the gag (which turned out to be a dirty sock) removed, the girl fell forward and started dry heaving.

"Whoever's sock that was," She spoke hoarsely, bringing up her knee to wipe her mouth, "You and your laundry detergent need to have a meeting of minds to reconsider your situation."

"Bring her to her feet and remove the bindings."

Rough hands grabbed her and pulled her upright so that she was facing the old man, who was glaring down at her. The pressure from the bindings was released and the man straightened.

His brow furrowed, "State your name."

Momentarily dropping into a more serious guise, the girl straightened and coolly asked, "And to who am I relinquishing this personal information?"

The old man's glare intensified, "General Captain Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryusai of the First Division, leader of the Gotei 13. Now state your name."

The girl sighed, closing her eyes and tilting her head slightly, "Amalia Davoras Lynn Kuruyaki."

Yamamoto looked at her critically, "Miss Kuruyaki, you have been charged with a long list of crimes that all stem from one particular incident in which you, according to the Keeper of the East Gate, remained stationary in front of the gate for a period of eleven days. I ask you now, under threat of immediate punishment should it be found you are lying, what force outside of the Soul Society incited this behavior from you."

Amalia opened her eyes, frowning, "You want to know who put me up to it?"

"In plainer terms, yes." Yamamoto nodded.

"The wall did." Upon seeing the confusion on the man's face, Amalia elaborated, speaking dramatically as she did, "I woke up in the Rukon District thirteen days ago to the sight of a _huge white wall_ looming over me. It _intrigued_ me, so I set about trying to get on the other side of it. Upon finding that there was no way for a person of the Rukon District to get inside, I planted myself in front of the first gate I found and started a _staring contest_ with the wall, using it as a cover-up to plot how to get in. The wall obliged to my challenge, and thus the staring began."

Yamamoto blinked, frowning, "The wall… challenged you."

Amalia smiled widely, nodding, "Yes."

There was the sound of flesh smacking flesh and a cry of "Unbelievable".

Turning, Amalia blinked in shock upon seeing the twelve captains standing behind her in an orderly fashion, watching the proceedings.

"Wow." She blinked, then smiled, "What are you all here for?"

"I don't believe your story for a second!" A man snapped, stepping forward to glare at Amalia, "It is a blatant lie an—"

As soon as the man had stepped forward, though, Amalia had ceased to listen to what was being said and instead studied the man's features. 'White hair and blue eyes…'

"Your eyes so compliment your hair! How did you do that?!" She burst suddenly, gapping the shinigami captain.

He was so completely caught off guard by the comment he stopped in mid-sentence and he just stared at her, dumbfounded.

Taking the moment of silence to think about what the man had said, Amalia shook her head, "And I was telling the truth! You guys may not hear it because you live inside of it, but that wall just screams 'Go ahead and try to get inside of me'! It's like the red button that has the 'Don't Push' sign over it, but you still want to push it because it's so shiny… and red… and tempting… and red…" She trailed off, a dazed look crossing her eyes as she began to imagine a red button.

"Do you expect us to believe," Yamamoto began loudly, snapping her out of her daydream and making her face him again, "That the only reason you wanted to get across the wall was to best it?"

"No." Amalia answered shortly, shrugging, "I expect you to all get into a big argument about this so I can sneak away and go gloat to the wall some more before I find a way out and get about to my normal life."

An uncomfortable silence settled over the room.

"Ignoring the first part of that statement," Ukitake said, stepping forward and nodding to Amalia as she turned to face him, "You do realize that you are—"

"Dead?" She finished, quirking a brow, "Of course I do. I remember dying perfectly. I was crossing the street and some idiot rammed me with his car. When I said 'life', I meant life as in the new respect of my life, which is in fact my afterlife."

Ukitake stared at her for a moment, then crossed his arms and smirked slightly, "You are far less daft then you make yourself out to be, aren't you?"

Amalia smiled back, shrugging, "'Daft' is relative, Captain Ukitake." Then, something colorful caught her eye and her head snapped to Shunsui, her eyes widening, "I love your coat!"

And yet another silence fell over the room.

"Miss Kuruyaki."

She spun on her heel and smiled at Yamamoto, "Yes?"

He shook his head and continued, "Despite the… traces of truth I hear in your explanation, your actions cannot be ignored. Now, usually the punishment for those transgressions is death—"

"Whoa, whoa, DEATH?!" Amalia jumped backwards, staring at Yamamoto with wide eyes, "You're going to kill me?!"

The old man held up his hand, "If you would listen—"

"But I just got here!" She continued, no longer hearing what he was saying, "I don't want to die yet! I know perfectly well what happens to a person who dies in death, and I don't want to have my memories erased. I LIKE MY MIND THE WAY IT IS!" She paused, then glared at Yamamoto, "I know what's going on here." She spun around and pointed to all of the shinigami captains, "YOU'RE ALL IN LEAGUE WITH THE WALL!"

Upon hearing this, everyone was stunned into silence.

"I knew it." Amalia hissed, glaring at everyone, "The wall is angry at me for crossing it, so it sent out its agents to deliver punishment upon me. The wall is a poor looser!" She then faced Yamamoto again, grinning sinisterly, "Well, if the wall wants to play like that, then I'll just play right back. You want to kill me?!" She took a step backwards, "Well, come and get me." With that, she turned on her heel and started running.

"Stop her!" She heard Yamamoto shout, and she saw all of the shinigami captains jump at her.

They all seemed to be moving a bit slowly to her, though, so she waited until the last minute to act. When they were five feet away, she stopped. Three feet, she jumped. Two feet, they hadn't seemed to notice she was gone. One foot, she began descending. When one person, a man with uber spiky hair, was right underneath her, she landed on his back and pushed up and forward, shooting over the rest and flying across the room.

When she had landed soundly, she glanced back to see how the shinigami were doing. …They had all dog piled on the man with spiky hair…

"Whoa." They all turned to her and she blinked, "Did I really just do that?"

The room sat, yet again, in shocked silence.

Amalia shrugged, "Oh well, I'll think about it later." She then pushed open the door, which she had landed in right in front of, and waved, "Bye!" And she ran out the door.

* * *

_Back in the Room_

The shinigami captains stared at the door silently.

Shunsui pulled himself out of the jumble of shinigami and turned to Yamamoto, blinking, "Did that just happen?"

Yamamoto stared at the door, "Was anyone aware of the fact that she is extremely proficient in flash steps?"

"A few of my subordinates made mention of it." Saijin Komamura admitted, standing, "Though I paid little mind to it."

"Hmm… Soifon." The woman turned to Yamamoto, who nodded to her, "I am leaving her recovery to you. Find her and bring her here." The captain nodded, then disappeared in a flash. "As for the rest of you, go back to your duties, but alert Captain Soifon should you see the girl."

The rest of the captains nodded and walked out, leaving Yamamoto alone.

After a moment, he shook his head and sighed, "Challenged by a wall…"

* * *

_With Amalia_

There were way too many halls in this place.

'Already been down that one once… that one twice… ran up and down that on seven times before I realized I was just running up and down it… dang it!'

…Way too many halls.

'Where are all the doors?! You would think these halls would eventually lead somewhere!'

But they didn't. All the halls led to where…

'MORE HALLS!'

Then, she finally found a door.

'YES!! DOOR!!'

Not really thinking about what would be on the other side, Amalia crashed through the door… and right into the back of another person.

'Crap.'

"Hey!"

"Sorry, sorry." She scrambled sideways, only to bump into yet another person. "Sorry!"

"Hey, you!"

"Sorr—" She paused. 'Wait… I recognize that voice!' "Mr. Abarai!" She looked up at him and smiled.

Renji brows raised as he looked down at her. "What, did they release you?"

Amalia face faulted, then laughed and smiled, "Yep, they did!"

"Hey, Renji." She froze upon remembering the other person she had run into, a tall man with blonde hair, "Who's this?"

Amalia looked around the room, getting paler and paler as she saw who exactly was in the room she had run into. "Hello!" She said, grinning nervously, "All thirteen lieutenants… of the Gotei… 13…" Her cheek twitched, "Hehe…"

Renji frowned slightly, "Is something wrong?"

"Nope!" She looked back at him and smiled, not missing a beat, "Nothing at all! It's just…" Her grin faltered and she swayed slightly, "There are so many people… in such a small area…"

"Claustrophobic, huh?" Renji shook his head and sighed, "Let's go, then." He took her by the arm and started leading her out, shouting, "Unless you all want to deal with a sick Rukon District civilian, I suggest you move."

Upon hearing that, the rest of the lieutenants cleared the way and let them past.

Renji led her to the back of the room and out a door, where she had to shield her eyes against the sun. When she had adjusted, she looked around her and gapped.

Renji smirked down at her, "Nice view, eh?"

Amalia nodded, "Yeah…"

They were standing near the edge of a tall cliff that overlooked the Seireitei, the wall, and the Rukon District.

"So, I never did get your name."

"Ah!" Amalia turned towards Renji and took a step back, bowing extravagantly, "I am Amalia Davoras Lynn Kuruyaki."

Renji smirked and rolled his eyes, "Renji Abarai."

Amalia stood and smiled, holding out her hand, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Abarai."

"Renji." He corrected, staring at her hand, "…I don't get it."

Amalia looked at her hand, then laughed. "Sorry." She apologized, lowering it, "American formality. Never did shake it off."

"Hold it." Renji held out his hand like she had, quirking a brow, "I'm interested."

Smiling, Amalia took his hand and shook it, explaining, "This is what is usually done in America in place of bowing."

He nodded, "You're from America?"

"Originally." She nodded, "My parents divorced when I was five and neither of them were able to support my brothers and I properly and deal with the court issues at the same time, so my brothers and I went to live with my aunt in Japan." She shrugged, "What was a few months extended to a few years, then my aunt declared custody of us, which my mother and father agreed to." She smiled bitterly, "Neither of them were suited to be parents."

"Sorry to have asked." He stared at her for a moment, frowning slightly, "You seem like a… different person since last night."

"Really?" She smiled, tilting her head, "I didn't notice."

"You!"

They both turned, Amalia's eyes widening when she saw Soifon running straight at her.

"Abarai, hold her!" Soifon ordered, speeding up.

Renji looked down at Amalia with wide eyes, "I thought you said they let you go?!"

Amalia looked up at him with wide eyes, blinking. "I lied." She then turned and started running, heading straight for the cliff.

"Abarai!" Soifon shot past him, shooting a glare at him.

Renji watched, frozen, as Soifon caught up with Amalia, only to lose her when the girl sped up herself and jumped the cliff, soaring through the air for a few feet before she plunged and disappeared from view.


	4. Test

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Amalia) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

(Test)

When next Amalia was conscious, she was in a world of pain. There wasn't an inch of her body that didn't hurt; not a joint that wasn't sore; not a bone that didn't feel bruised; not an organ that didn't feel swollen and throbbing.

"Hehe." She giggled to herself, wincing slightly at the pain of speaking and laughing, "I can feel my organs."

"You're awake."

She tried to jump and turn towards the voice, but ended up screaming in pain.

"Don't try to move!" The voice, a woman's, exclaimed. Then there were cool hands on her back, "You're severely injured and if you agitate your wounds too much, you'll die."

Amalia winced and tried to move, but she found herself laying on her stomach and facing the wall, and she was too weak to even attempt to lift herself. "W-who's there?"

"Retsu Unohana." The woman answered, "Captain of Squad Four, the Medical Relief squad. Do you remember what happened?"

After thinking about it for a moment, it all came back to her. Seeing no other way to escape Soifon, she had jumped off of the cliff and then… everything went blank.

"I jumped." She muttered.

"That's right." Retsu said, "You're quite lucky. After you hit the side of the plateau and rolled a ways, both Captain Soifon and Lieutenant Abarai jumped after you." The woman sighed, then set something cool and wet on Amalia's back, "You're injuries were severe, but your body turned out to be exceptional at healing. It responded to all of our treatment exceptionally well and has even progressed quite far on its own."

Amalia was silent for a moment, then asked, "How long have I been unconscious?"

"A week." When Amalia jerked slightly, Retsu held her down, "Quite a shock, I know. There are several things you should know, though." She cleared her throat, then went on. "The first and foremost being that General Captain Yamamoto did not intend to have you killed. Merely questioned and detained for a short amount of time. Since then, though, he as received several reports of… odd behavior about you and your body that have caused him to rethink his decision. I am not sure what his new decision is, but it will likely involve you being detained longer."

"My body?" Amalia asked, frowning.

"Yes." Retsu confirmed, "You seem to have unconsciously displayed a proficient level of ability in flash steps as well as healing, but your spiritual pressure is shockingly low. General Captain Yamamoto will more than likely want to have you tested to find out why."

"What are 'flash steps'?" Amalia asked suddenly, remembering the shinigami who had been chasing her the first day in the Seireitei mentioning them over and over.

"It's a shinigami agility skill." Retsu nodded, taking the wet cool thing (a washcloth, probably) off and replacing it with another. "It allows shinigami to move quickly."

"Then why can I do it?" Amalia pressed, confused, "I'm not a shinigami."

"I don't know." Retsu answered, her voice drawing farther away, "I'll be back in a moment. Don't try to move."

Three days past in this fashion; a medic would wake Amalia early in the morning and administer the necessary medicines and Amalia would spend the rest of the day doing absolutely nothing, or so the medics thought. During her time alone, she would secretly get out of bed and practice walking, and on the second day she started to try to force herself to do the flash steps. She would start by timing how long it took her to get from one end of the room to the other by just walking, then she would try to perform flash steps and use her walking time to see if she was actually doing them.

'This is easy.' She thought, flash stepping laps around the room, 'I wonder why it's so surprising to them I can do it… it doesn't seem that difficult to get the hang of.'

Of course, because she didn't want Retsu or any of the other medics to know she was doing this, she made sure to listen extra carefully in case anyone ever approached her room. When someone actually did, she took the opportunity to flash step her way back to her bed and lie down seconds before the person opened the door.

Then, on the third day…

"Will you please try walking for me, Miss Kuruyaki?"

"Sure, Captain Unohana." Amalia shakily pushed herself to the edge of the bed, swinging her legs over the edge and wincing when her feet touched the cold floor. She then pushed herself to her feet.

"Slowly!" Retsu jumped forward and grabbed the girl as she swayed, nearly falling. Once Amalia was balanced, Retsu relented her grip slightly and guided her around the room.

Amalia smirked to herself as she 'tripped' over her feet slightly. 'So gullible…'

"Alright." Retsu said, suddenly letting go of Amalia and standing back, smirking at her, "Feel free to flash step back to your bed now."

'Maybe not…' Smiling disarmingly, Amalia tilted her head, "What are you talking about, Captain Unohana? I don't know how to flash step at will."

"Your spiritual pressure whenever you're alone begs to differ." Upon seeing the girl's confusion, Retsu smirked and elaborated, "Spiritual pressure rises when it is in use, and all shinigami are trained to sense spiritual pressure."

"So," Amalia cut in, "Whenever I used flash steps, any shinigami that was paying attention would have felt it?"

Retsu nodded, "Yes."

"Crap."

Retsu shook her head and laughed, then sobered slightly, "If you're feeling up to it, General Captain Yamamoto has requested your presence at the Academy."

"Sure!" Amalia jumped to her feet and followed Retsu out of the room, all the while gears turning in her head, "What's the Academy?"

"The school where all potentials are taught to be shinigami." The captain answered, leading the girl through the building and out into the maze of paths. "Just to warn you, it's a long walk."

"Okay, then we'll just have to entertain ourselves…" Amalia smiled, "Which you can do by telling me about the other Squads, their captains, and their lieutenants."

Retsu chuckled and obliged, their trek through the Seireitei seeming to take less time. Soon, they were standing in front of the Academy.

Amalia stared up at it and frowned. 'That is an imposing building.' She then ran after Retsu, who had still been walking, "So, why does General Captain Yamamoto want to see me here?"

"To test you, I believe." The captain answered, opening a door and standing aside, "After you."

As soon as Amalia walked through the door, she was tense. The room was a large gym, roughly the size of a football field, with bleachers on both sides. The shinigami captains and their lieutenants were already there and waiting, and they all turned to stare at Amalia as she walked in.

She froze ten paces from the door and pursed her lips, "Why does it feel like I'm walking into a trap?"

Several people laughed, one of which being Yamamoto. The general captain stood and beckoned Amalia forward, "I assure you, no trickery is intended. This is just an exercise."

Amalia stayed where she was for a moment, then inched in further, making sure to keep away from the shinigami. "And why do I need to do an exercise for you? Isn't there a cell you can lock me into until you decide to let me go back to the Rukon District?"

"You aren't getting away that easily. Now, stop." Amalia stopped where she was, which was directly across the room from the shinigami. Yamamoto nodded, "Good." He then turned to the shinigami, "Yachiru, if you would."

Amalia watched tensely as Yachiru Kusajishi hopped down from the bleachers and skipped so that she was standing directly across the room from her. Yachiru was exactly as Retsu had described her; a small girl with pink hair and pink eyes. Disarming, but she was still a lieutenant…

"The object of this exercise is to avoid Yachiru for as long as you can, both of you using any means necessary to achieve your goal, short of killing." Yamamoto nodded to Amalia, "Do you understand?" When Amalia nodded, he said, "Commence."

As soon as the word had left his lips, Amalia disappeared and reappeared at the other end of the gym, standing ramrod straight with her arms crossed tensely and her mouth pressed into a thin line.

The shinigami blinked at this sudden change, then one in particular burst into laughter.

"What's wrong?" The spiky-headed man, Kenpachi Zaraki, taunted, "Afraid of a little girl?"

"I'd be stupid not to be!" Amalia shouted, her eyes locked on Yachiru. "First off, she's a small adorable little girl. SHINIGAMI AREN'T SUPPOSED TO BE SMALL ADORABLE LITTLE GIRLS!! Thus, there must be a bloodthirsty side to this small girl." She paused to flash step to the other side of the room as Yachiru tensed as if to move. "Second," She continued, "She's got a sword. I make it a point not to trust people with swords when I myself am not armed. Lastly," She flash stepped yet again, coming to a stop in front of the shinigami as the little girl flash stepped to where Amalia had just been, "SHE HAS YOU FOR A FRIEND!" Amalia screamed, pointing to Zaraki, "AND I'D BE DOUBLY STUPID TO NOT BE AFRAID OF YOU!"

"You're weird." Yachiru said, flash stepping to a stop right in front of Amalia, who squeaked and flash stepped across the room and came to a stop at the top of the second set of bleachers parallel to the set the shinigami were sitting on, crouched and tensed.

"Like you aren't?!" Amalia shouted, keeping her eyes on the little girl.

Yachiru stopped in mid-step and looked at Amalia with wide eyes, "Are you calling me a freak?!"

"Of course not!" The older girl(only in appearance, though) insisted, then paused and rethought her answer, "Well, actually, I wasn't calling you a freak only so long as you weren't calling me one, considering I took the comment you threw at me and threw it back. If you called me weird with the intention of calling me a freak, though, then yes, I did call you a freak."

The girl considered this, then pointed at Amalia and screamed, "You're mean!" She then flash stepped up the bleachers to Amalia and drew her sword.

Yelping, Amalia flash stepped to the other side of the bleachers and jumped up, grabbing a hold of a metal beam and scrambling up into the rafters. She then wove her way through to the center of the room, where she hunkered down and remained stationary.

"Get down here, meanie!" Yachiru shouted, running right below Amalia and staring up at her. "Get down here and pay for what you said!"

"How is it my fault if I didn't understand the full meaning of your words?!" Amalia shouted back, not showing herself, "Besides, you shouldn't call people things you don't want to be called!"

Yachiru pursed her lips, "Who are you, my mom?! Come down, meanie!" She then shot a kido blast up into the rafters, blowing a hole in the roof.

"Gah!" Amalia threw herself away from the blast, but missed the next rafter and fell, crashing hard into the ground. "…owie…"

Yachiru walked up to her incapacitated prey, holding up her sword and grinning down at Amalia evilly. "Take this, meanie."

Amalia closed her eyes as the sword fell towards her. But the pain she was expecting never came. Instead, there was a clash of metal on metal and Yachiru was screaming.

"Lemme go! I said lemme go!! I'm gonna make that meanie pay for what she said!"

Amalia opened her eyes and watched in shock as Kenpachi picked up the wailing girl and carried her away. "It was nothing you didn't say first, Yachiru, now stop it."

"Well, that had a high possibility of getting unpleasant." Amalia blinked and looked to the person standing in front of her, sheathing his sword. It was the fox-faced man, Gin Ichimaru. He turned to her and smiled down at her, "Well, hello again."

"Hi." Amalia answered shortly, propping herself up on her elbows.

Gin's smile wavered slightly, "Well, that was a rather short way to greet me. Especially after you slept in my apartment."

"Yeah, sorry about that." Amalia stood and flash stepped a short ways away, keeping an eye on him as she straightened her clothes and hair. 'He's creepy…'

"It was nothing." Gin's grin grew wider, his eyes pressing tighter, "Though it did come as a bit of a shock."

"Captain Ichimaru." They both turned to Yamamoto, who nodded to the captain, "Would you test her next? Perhaps you could keep yourself a bit more restrained than some…" He glanced at Yachiru, who was still pouting.

"Alright." Gin nodded, then turned to Amalia and tilted his head, "Ready?"

She blinked, "Do I have a choice?"

"Commence."

Gin's grin twitched, "Looks like that's a 'no'." He then disappeared.

Amalia's eyes widened and she dove to the side just in time to avoid Gin's blade as it crashed into the ground on the spot where she had been standing.

"You'll want to keep moving." He said as she pushed herself back to her feet and stumbled back a few steps, "I won't wait like Lieutenant Kusajishi did." He then disappeared yet again.

Yelping, Amalia flash stepped to the other side of the room, only to scream and jump back as the man's blade appeared yet again.

"That won't work." He sang, grinning to her as she flash stepped to the middle of the room. He appeared behind her and leaned close, whispering, "I'm much faster than she was."

'Okay, new tactic.' Amalia thought as she flash stepped to the bleachers and hid behind them, glancing between the seats for the fox-faced captain. 'I need a weapon for this guy… at least to hold off his sword. But where?...' She looked around the room, her eyes locking on the practice weapons hanging from the end wall. 'Bingo!'

"So, who're we hiding from?"

"Eeek!" Amalia scrambled away from Gin, who had appeared right behind her. She then flash stepped over to the wall, staring at it tensely. 'Too big… can't reach it… don't even know what it is… nailed to the wall…'

"What about that one?" A hand reached out and pointed to a bokken, at which Amalia shook her head.

"As if. I'd end up holding the wrong end, or something." She then realized who she was talking to and flash stepped backwards, staring at Gin with wide eyes as he turned to face her.

He lifted a hand and waved, "Yo." He then disappeared again.

'Not good…' Amalia looked over the wall with greater speed than before, biting her lip.

"You might want to think faster." Came a voice from right next to her ear.

Squealing, she ran forward and grabbed the closest weapon, yanking it off the wall and holding it out to parry his blow. She then looked at what she held in her hand. "A FAN?! THE FIRST THING I GRABBED AND IT'S A FAN?! WHAT THE HECK?!"

Gin shrugged, "Make use of what you have." He then pushed her to the ground.

Amalia rolled out from underneath his blade and jumped to her feet, shooting across the room and turning sharply to face him again. She looked down at the fan in her hand, frowning. 'Make use of what you have…'

She felt Gin's attack coming before she saw him reappear.

Flipping open the fan and holding it in her right hand, she spun to her left and held it out, parrying the blow. A shower of sparks rained down as the two metal weapons clashed, the sword sliding down the fan.

Amalia blinked and stared at the fan in shock. "A _metal_ fan?"

"More correctly, a tessen." Gin said, pressing down on his sword, "A war fan. Not terribly powerful… but quite versatile."

She blinked and nodded, "I think I get what you mean. It would be useless to attack you head on, but…" She spun further to her left, making his sword slide off of the metal blades quickly and slam into the ground. She then followed it up by brining the fan to his neck and holding it there. "It's far easier to slip around you."

His smile widened, "Very good." He then disappeared, reappearing facing her and slamming his sword down on her fan so hard she bent over backwards, her back popping in several places. His eyes opened slightly and he leered at her, "But don't get cocky…"

After staring up at him silently for a moment, Amalia stated, "Your eyes are a very interesting shade of red."

His leer grew and he leaned in closer.

_Don't let him get close…_

Amalia blinked, "Huh?"

_Keep him away…_

She frowned, "Not terribly sure there's much I can do… he's already there."

Gin frowned, "What?"

_Throw him off…_

"Oh, yeah." She rolled her eyes, "As if I could throw him off… he wasn't made captain for nothing, you know."

"Who are you talking to?" A confused Gin asked.

Amalia shook her head, "The female voice in my head."

_Don't let him do this to you… THROW HIM OFF!!_

"YOU WANT HIM OFF THAT BADLY, THEN GET YOUR NON-CORPOREAL A OUT HERE AND HELP!"

There was a sudden flow of power through her veins and her fan glowed with a radiant bluish grey light. Acting on volatile instincts that told her how to move, Amalia threw her arms forward and threw Gin off… in a more violent manner than she had intended.

As soon as she had snapped forward, there was an unexpected explosion of energy that blasted Gin right across the room and slammed him into the wall, part of which collapsed and fell on top of him.

The shinigami captains and lieutenants jumped to their feet and stared in shock between Amalia and the pile of rubble beneath which Gin was buried.

Amalia looked between the pile of rubble and the fan in her hand, then scratched the back of her head as the shinigami looked at her again. "Hehe… oops?"


	5. Voices inside my Head

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Amalia) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

(Voices inside my Head)

Sitting inside Mayuri Kurotsuchi's lab for days on end turned out to be extremely boring.

"9,999,999 bottles of beer on the wall, 9,999,999 bottles of beer… you take one down and pass it around, 9,999,998 bottles of beer on the wall…"

…Extremely boring.

"I know a song that gets on everybody's nerves, everybody's nerves, everybody's nerves. I know a song that gets on everybody's nerves, and this is how it goes. I know a…"

…boring.

"Hoi've got a lo-ve-ly bunch o' coconuts. deedally dee There they are a-standin' in a row. Big ones, small ones, some as big as yer 'ead!—"

"SHUT UP!!" The namesake of the lab screamed, his back arching and his hands clawing at the air. "HOW MANY NONSENSE SONGS CAN ONE PERSON KNOW?!"

Amalia sat up in her cell and looked at Mayuri, pouting slightly, "Sorry, Mr. Yuri, but it's really boring in here an—"

"Quit calling me 'Mr. Yuri'." Mayuri hissed, stalking over to the cell and glaring down at its inhabitant, "If you are going to address me as anything, it will be Captain Kurotsuchi, is that clear?!"

She looked at him with wide eyes, "I can't remember all of that! I can't even remember your first name!" She paused, then giggled, "I only remembered 'Yuri' because it sounds pretty."

The captain's eye twitched, "It's 'Mayuri'."

"Oooh! That's even prettier, Mayuri!" Amalia said, smiling and clapping her hands.

"CAPTAIN KUROTSUCHI!!" Mayuri screamed, grabbing the bars of the cell and shaking them.

"Careful, Mr. Mayuri!" Amalia exclaimed, jumping to her feet and pulling his hands off of the bars. "You might break that pretty nail!" She looked closely at the one purple fingernail, longer than all of the others, to make sure it wasn't damaged.

Mayuri immediately fell silent and turned away, stalking off into the dark depths of his lab.

When she was alone again, Amalia sighed and sat back down in her cell, laying down and staring at the ceiling.

"It's a small world, after all—"

"SILENCE!"

Later that day, a small form slipped out of the shadows and knelt in front of Amalia's cell, pushing a small plate of food through the bars.

Amalia sat up and smiled at the person, whispering, "Hello, Nemu."

Nemu bowed slightly, still kneeling. She paused, then looked up at Amalia imploringly, "Please… must you always upset him?"

"It's not like I try." Amalia said, shrugging and crawling over to the bars of the cell, "He's just really touchy." She picked up the food and stated eating.

"Still… please…" Nemu begged, her head lowered.

Amalia sighed, setting the food down, "How's this; I'll try to strike a bargain with him to get something to keep myself entertained and out of his hair."

"S-strike a bargain?!" Nemu looked up at Amalia with wide eyes, "Have you forgotten why you're here?! You threw Captain Ichimaru forty yards! You managed to seriously fight him for thirty seconds and not get hit! Your spiritual pressure grew a thousand times larger in a matter of seconds then died off just as quickly, and you were still standing afterwards! By all standards, none of that should be—"

"Physically possible." Amalia finished, taking another bit of rice, "And now I'm in Mr. Mayuri's lab because General Captain Yamamoto wants him to study me and find out how I did it." She sighed, "I know, Nemu, I know. I've been hearing it all for the past few days."

Nemu shook her head and was about to say something when Mayuri called.

"Nemu?! Where are you, girl?!"

"I have to go." Amalia set the food back on the platter and pushed it to the bars, letting Nemu take it, "Good bye." She bowed, then stood and walked away.

Sighing, Amalia once again lay on the floor and stared at the ceiling, though this time not singing. She was just getting ready to play 'Mind Pong' when _it_ came back.

_Nemu is a nice girl… it's too bad she has a father like Mayuri Kurotsuchi._

Amalia nodded, "Yeah. I feel bad for her." She then blinked rapidly, sitting up, "Hey! You're the voice from before! The voice that helped me get Mr. Ichimaru out of my face!"

_I am, and I'd like to apologize for that. I had no idea that this would be the punishment for my actions… I should have held back quite a bit of energy._

Frowning, Amalia lay back down, "Yeah, that was kinda overkill." She paused, then asked, "Who are you, anyway?"

_My name is_ dial tone_, though I don't think you can hear it, just yet._

"Nope. All I heard was a dial tone… Well, if you can't tell me who you are, can you tell me what you are?"

_I am an… I suppose you would call me an extension of you. I am you… only I am me… a different part of you, one that you would have never known about had you not been… special._

Amalia blinked, "I'm not understanding you at all."

_I know, and that's alright. You will come to understand in time. Well, I have to go. Kurotsuchi is coming._

"Wait! Which one?! There's two of 'em!" But the voice was already gone. Amalia sighed and closed her eyes, listening as stalking footsteps approached. When they stopped in front of her cell she sat up and smiled at him, "Hello, Mr. Ma…" Then, remembering what Nemu said, she corrected herself, "Captain Kurotsuchi. What can I do for you?"

Mayuri seemed to be caught off guard by her actually using his name, but he shook it off and crossed his arms, "Where you talking to someone?"

Amalia closed her eyes and smiled, throwing a fist into the air, "Of course not! Who could I possibly be talking to?" She paused, then lowered her hand and looked at it, "Unless you count talking to myself…"

"Perhaps that 'voice in your head' you made reference to when you were explaining you sudden energy burst?" Mayuri pressed, eyelids lowering slightly, "Remember? The voice that you said gave you the energy?"

She stared at him silently for a moment, then smiled, "Do you have a deck of cards?"

Mayuri's left eye twitched, "What?"

"A deck of cards." She repeated, still smiling, "Do you have any? Ooh, or a Mahjong tile set? I play a mean game of Mahjong!"

"No—"

"It'll stop me from signing." She sang, her smile widening, "Hoi've got a lo-ve-ly bunch of coconuts—"

"FINE!" Mayuri screamed, his hands falling to his sides and clenching tightly, "I'll try to get you something!" He then turned and stalked off.

"Thank you, Captain Kurotsuchi!" Amalia shouted after him, giggling when he was gone. "He's fun."

_Decidedly, though I do believe that if you keep upsetting him like that, he will eventually snap and kill you._

Amalia smiled, "That's what makes it all the funner!"

…'_Funner' isn't a word._

"I know." Amalia shrugged, watching her foot as it bounced rhythmically in the air, "But that won't stop me from using it… or any other made-up word I say."

_Of course… He's coming back. I'll be quiet for a moment._

"Okay…" She sighed sadly, lowering her head. She then perked up and smiled as a person emerged from the shadows, "Hello, Captain Kurotsuchi! What are you doing back so soon?"

"Hmph." He threw a box into the cell, scowling when she leaned in to inspect it, "I expect you to keep quiet now that you have that."

"Jenga!" Amalia squealed, grabbing the box and hugging it, "I haven't played this in ages!" She smiled up at the scientist, "Thank you, Captain Kurotsuchi!"

"Mehpher…yes, yes… hugsher mmghrm…" He turned sharply and walked back into the shadows, still muttering to himself under his breath.

Turning back to the box, Amalia happily opened it and upended it, expecting dozens of rectangular blocks to pour out. But, when only a singular item slid through the hole and tapped to the ground lightly, she looked down and frowned slightly, picking it up, "Wha?" She pulled open a fan with both of her hands.

…_Now how did __that__ get into a Jenga box?_

"Ohhh…" Amalia moaned, closing the fan glumly, "I don't know, but it means I don't have any Jenga… and nothing to do."

_Actually, that's not entirely true. You could practice with that, you know._

Amalia frowned, looking down at the fan and asking the female voice inside of her head, "Practice what? How to keep cool and exercise my wrist at the same time? Or would I end up getting carpel tunnel instead?"

_No, I mean practice battle stances._

"Battle… stances?" Amalia asked, blinking.

…_Would you prefer to think of them as dance moves?_

"Dancing?! Hot dog!" Amalia jumped to her feet, grinning widely at the fan in her hands, "Let's get to it, voice!"

Sigh _Very well. First, you want to…_

* * *

_Later that Day_

Amalia collapsed onto the ground, panting heavily. "I (_gasp) _never (_gasp)_ want (_gasp)_ to dance (_gasp)_ again!"

_Quit complaining. They were only a few simple defense and attack stances, so get over it. You're going to have to deal with a lot more in the months to come._

"Attack at defense?! You said this was dancing!" Amalia frowned, sitting up and pouting.

_In its own way, battle is a dance, and a dance can very well be turned into battle stances. Especially with the use of a tessen, the line between an attack and a pirouette is drawn very thin to almost nonexistent._

"Whatever," Amalia huffed, crossing her arms, "I'm not listening to you anymore!"

_Yes, you will. Now, those attack and defense stances were just an exercise so I could evaluate your inherent skills, and there are a few areas I want you to work on—_

"And what makes you think I'll do it?!" The girl cried indignantly, standing and glaring at a wall, "I don't have to listen to a voice!"

…_Fine. If you don't want to listen to what I have to say, then I won't force you. Do as you will._

Everything fell into an eerie silence.

"Voice?" Amalia called nervously, looking around, "Hello… Hello? Voice? Where are you?" Getting no answer, she sighed and sat down, biting her lip guiltily, "I don't wanna be alone…"

BeWaahBeWaahBeWaahBeWaahBeWaahBeWaahBeWaahBeWaahBeWaah

Amalia jumped to her feet and let out a small scream as red lights flashed around her and a siren wailed loudly.

BeWaahBeWaahBeWaahBeWaahBeWaahBeWaahBeWaahBeWaahBeWaah

"Voice!" She cried, covering her ears and backing into a wall, "Help me! I'm scared!" But she got no answer.

BeWaahBeWaahBeWaahBeWaahBeWaahBeWaahBeWaahBeWaahBeWaah

"C-captain Kurotsuchi!" Amalia screamed, sinking to the ground, "Nemu! Help! Voice! Mayuri! Nemu! ANYONE!"

"Quit you wailing, girl!"

Amalia looked up with teary eyes, "Captain Kurotsuchi…"

The masked captain looked around with a frown, glancing at Amalia briefly before looking back to the sirens. "What the hell is going on?!"

"Sir!" Nemu ran up, "A Hell Butterfly!" She held out her finger, delicately balancing a small, black butterfly. "All squads are to report Soukyouku Hill immediately to assist in the destruction of a massive gate out of Hollows…"

Mayuri scowled, "Damn." He thought about it, then nodded, "Very well. Nemu! Come! We must go immediately!"

They both turned and ran, leaving Amalia alone.

She stared after them, the siren still wailing.

"Don't leave me…"

* * *

Completely off-topic, but am I the only one in this world having problems with the Elder Wyrm in the Golomore Forest? Please, tell me I'm not...

I swear, I get that guy down to his last few health and he goes and does that stupid spore release thing and does more damage than a Malboro's Toxic Breath!


	6. Inner Power

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Amalia) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

(Inner Power)

Amalia stared at the bars of her cell sadly, clutching her legs to her chest tighter and tighter at each wail of the sirens.

'The Soul Society… the Seireitei… is under attack… and I am all alone.' She shuddered and set her forehead onto her knees, 'I hate this…' Her right hand felt slightly sore, and she looked at it to see what it was. The hand fan she had found inside of the Jenga box… she was clutching it so tightly her knuckles were turning white. "Voice?"

Still no answer.

She sighed and set her head back onto her knees.

Then, something tickled at her fan hand and she looked up, blinking at the small black butterfly sitting on her knuckle.

"Wha?"

"_Attention all able-bodied combatants, report to Soukyouku Hill immediately for a fight against a massive force of Hollows._" A voice said in her head, the butterfly's wings twitching, "_This is not a drill. Report immediately._"

Amalia shook her head, "I'm not a fighter, little butterfly."

The insect's wings twitched again, its proboscis extending and touching the fan.

Amalia sighed, "I don't know how to use that, and even if I did, I'm stuck in this cell until Mr. Mayuri gets back with the keys…"

The butterfly twitched, then rose into the air and flew over to the bars, landing on one. For a moment, nothing happened, then several of the bars began to glow red and sizzle. Amalia watched with wide eyes as the metal bars melted away, leaving a four-bar-wide gap. The butterfly flitted back into the air, zipping over to Amalia and landing back down onto her fan hand.

"_All able-bodied combatants are to report to Soukyouku Hill immediately. That is all._" The butterfly then rose back into the air and flew out of the cell, disappearing into the dark depths of Mayuri's lab.

After a pause, Amalia stood and walked over to the gap cautiously, looking it up and down. None of the bars around the four seemed to be harmed, and the metal of the four bars that had melted had already cooled and solidified in a small mound on the ground.

She poked her head out of the cell experimentally, then slowly stepped out, looking back and forth.

Seeing no one, Amalia ran out of the laboratory the same way Mayuri and Nemu had, passing tubes and bottles without a second glance and emerging into the sun a moment later.

Before her, the grounds where empty.

"I'm free…" She looked to her left. There was the wall, and there was a gate. The gate would lead her to the first layer of the Seireitei, then it was only one more gate to freedom. She'd be back in the Rukon District and she'd never have to think about this again. A brief vision of the Hell Butterfly passed through her head, but she shook it away, "That's a problem for the shinigami, not me."

That thought in mind, she started to run to the gate.

As she ran, though, a scream tore through the air, forcing her to stop and spin back around. There, over the top of the Squad 12 building, was a clear view of Soukyouku Hill. And, with it, a black haze of some… pulsing mass.

"Hollows…" She mumbled. There was another scream, and a picture of Nemu flashed through her head, followed by Renji, Jushiro, Gin, Mayuri, Kuchiki, Yamamoto, Shunsui, and all of the other shinigami she had met. They were all up there, and they were all fighting. She shook her head. "They're shinigami." She said to herself confidently and sternly, "This is what they're supposed to do. It has nothing to do with me."

She then started running to the gate.

A bestial roar.

She shook her head, squinting her eyes shut.

"It's not my problem…"

* * *

_On the stairway to Soukyouku Hill_

"I (gasp) can't believe (gasp) I'm gasp doing this!" Amalia screamed, taking the steps two at a time. "They're (gasp) shinigami! They should (gasp) be more (gasp) than capable (gasp) of (gasp) handling (gasp) this!"

Seeing the end approaching, she picked up the pace and jumped the last step, gasping as she landed. There where Hollows everywhere…

She stood where she was and panted for a moment, taking the time to look around.

Each of the shinigami captains, lieutenants, and several other of their lower ranking officers where there, fighting with all of their might. Even though the captains were able to take down dozens of Hollows at a time, they just seemed to keep coming back.

"Mean lady! Look out!"

The next thing she knew, Amalia was sailing through the air and slamming into the ground, a head of pink hair pinning her. Amalia's eyes widened in horror as a giant centipede Hollow slammed into the place she had just been.

"Get up!" Yachiru shouted, jumping to her feet and pulling her zanpakuto, "Get up and run!" The girl then ran at the Hollow, slicing its head off.

Amalia scrambled to her feet and stumbled back, looking around herself with wide eyes, 'I shouldn't have come here… I should have let them handle it and escaped… I am way out of my league…'

"Miss Kuruyaki! Look out!" She heard Jushiro shout.

She turned to where his voice had come from, eyes widening when she saw a giant hornet Hollow flying straight at her, stinger held out.

'No…'

_Hold your fan in defense stance twelve!_

Body responding before her mind could process, Amalia's hands whipped out her fan and flicked it open, holding it out in front of her. When the hornet's stinger pierced it, she snapped it shut and spun to the side, flicking the stinger out and sending the Hollow spinning.

"Voice!"

_In the sound. Now get ready, another one is coming!_

Amalia spun back around, holding her fan out and bracing herself. She spent the next few moments deflecting any attacks that came at her, both her and her fan quickly tiring.

"Voice!" She shouted, throwing off another Hollow, "I don't think the fan can take much more of this! It's in shreds already!"

_I know, and you're getting slower by the second. They'll all have to be dealt with at once._

"How?! Not even the captains can do that!"

_Not effectively they can't, but we can._

Amalia frowned, "How?"

_Like this._

Then, Amalia felt the power from before flow through her, the air around her taking on a slight bluish grey tint and her tattered fan practically radiating light. Acting on volatile instincts, Amalia lowered the fan to the ground and spread her legs, pausing for half a second before she yanked her arm and the fan back up in a vertical motion.

The movement generated a band of blue grey light that flew forward and grew, quickly doubling, tripling, quadrupling and beyond in size, seeming to swallow the sky whole, and the Hollows with it. The light shone blindingly, making Amalia shield her eyes with her hands until it faded.

When everything was quiet, Amalia slowly lowered her arms and looked to the sky, breathing a sigh of relief. The sky was clear. The Hollows where gone.

She smiled happily, then looked back down at the battlefield, her smile twitching into a panicked grimace when she saw all of the shinigami staring at her.

For a moment, the entire area was deathly silent.

Amalia was the one who broke it, laughing nervously and saying, "I don't suppose you all… could look in that direction and let me escape now, could you? Just… pretend this never happened?"

* * *

_Inside of the Central 46 building_

Once again, Amalia stood before the thirteen captains (as well as the lieutenants) of the Soul Society, hands bound behind her back, though this time with special kido-binding handcuffs.

Amalia sighed, "We couldn't have just forgotten this…"

"Of course not!" Yamamoto shouted, glaring down at her, "Do you have any understanding of the gravity of the situation you're in? Are you aware of what you did?"

"I listened to the voice inside of my head!" She shouted back, pursing her lips, "I know it's usually not a good idea to do that, but she was the only one of either of us who had any clue as to what to do!"

"The voice inside of your head." Yamamoto repeated, leaning back and sighing. He then looked at her sharply, "Does this 'voice' happen to have a name?"

Amalia nodded, "Yeah, but when she tried to tell me, all I heard was a dial tone."

The elder shinigami blinked, "Dial tone?"

She nodded, "Yeah, you know. A dial tone. The long, drawn-out noise on the other end of a phone when you don't enter a number." Seeing no recognition in his face, she tilted her head, "It sounds like this. Beeeeeeeee—"

Five minutes later.

"—eeeeeeeeeeeeeee—"

"Alright, we get it!"

"Good." Amalia said, panting, "Because my lungs were starting to itch."

Yamamoto shook his head, "Back to the subject at hand, are you sure that this 'voice' is the one that is the one that instructed you on how to release that kido?"

Amalia sighed, rolling her eyes, "As if I could have learned it on my own."

"Miss Kuruyaki," She turned to Jushiro, who was frowning slightly, "Do you… have any proof that this 'voice' actually exists?"

"I dunno." She shrugged, "Beyond that giant explosion she helped me make, I don't know of anything else to show you… maybe she would. Hold on." She faced the wall and sighed, "Hey, voice, guess what? You got me in trouble again. Mind helping me get out?"

No answer.

She frowned, "Now is not the time to be playing non-existent, so speak up and help me out here!"

…_uffs… ha-uffs…_

"'Hauffs'? What in the name of all that is cheesy are 'hauffs'?!" Amalia shouted, looking around angrily.

…_ists. Wrists, you fool! –andcuf—_

Amalia blinked, "Ah." She turned to face Yamamoto, "I think the handcuffs are blocking her or something. Could they be taken off?"

Yamamoto looked at her in shock, then nodded and snapped his fingers, Soifon stepping forward and undoing the handcuffs.

"Thank the heavens! Those were so uncomfortable!"

"I know." Amalia agreed, rubbing her wrists, "At least you can talk now. Anyway, can you help me out?"

"I think I already have."

Amalia spun around, her eyes widening at what she saw. There was a woman standing in the middle of the parallel rows of shinigami captains and lieutenants. She was incredibly tall and lithe, not to mention pale, clothed in a loose blue kimono that was slit to her hips and hugged her body from the waist down, showing off her legs. The woman rolled her shoulders, ankle length navy hair cascading off of her shoulders and lilac eyes training on Amalia.

The woman smiled slightly and lifted her hand, waving, "Hi."


	7. Zanpakuto

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Amalia) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

(Zanpakuto)

The woman smiled slightly and lifted her hand, waving, "Hi."

Amalia blinked, "Who're you?"

The woman blinked back, then sighed and shrugged, "Well, I'm always watching you, I've been there since you were born, you haven't always known about me, and you only know me by an ambiguous name that isn't really even a name but rather a noun used to describe the sound that comes out of the mouths of sentient beings when they are forming words." She then crossed her arms, "Who do you think I am?"

"…" Amalia stared at her for a moment, then her eyes widened and she stumbled back, "Oh my God, you're a stalker!"

The woman deadpanned and slapped her forehead, "In the name of all that is sane… I'm the 'voice'!"

"Oh…" Amalia turned to Yamamoto and smiled, pointing to the woman, "That's the voice! There's my proof!"

Yamamoto just stared at the woman in shock.

Amalia tilted her head and turned to the other shinigami, frowning, "What's wrong with Mr. Yamamoto?"

The rest of the shinigami stared at the woman in shock, Renji finally shaking his head and stepping forward, "That's no voice… that's your zanpakuto!"

"What's a 'san-pack-toe'?" Amalia asked.

Renji sighed and shook his head, "It's 'zan-pāk-tow', and they're a special kind of spiritual weapon."

Amalia looked back at the woman, blinking, "But she looks like a person."

"It's your weapon's inner being," Gin said, frowning slightly as he looked at the woman, "But I don't see how she was able to manifest herself in this fashion… you don't even know her name."

The woman looked at Gin and blinked vapidly, "Don't be so rash as to assume that you shinigami know everything there is to know about we zanpakuto, Gin Ichimaru. In time, you'll come to learn that there is more to us that what you think. Now," She turned to Yamamoto and crossed her arms over her stomach, smirking slightly, "Is my presence enough to prove that my master is not insane?" She glanced at Amalia, then winced slightly, "For the most part, that is."

Amalia just blinked, confused.

Yamamoto blinked, then shook his head and coughed, "Yes… yes it is."

The woman nodded, "Good." She then looked at Amalia and smiled, "Now, master, there are several things you and I must discuss, mostly concerning your training."

"Training?" Amalia asked, looking around, "Now?"

"No better time," The woman shrugged, "Besides, I want the shinigami to know what I have planned for you.

"First," The woman looked back to Yamamoto, "Am I correct in assuming that, now that Amalia has shown that she is both capable of kido and has presented me, that she will more than likely be considered a candidate to become a shinigami, herself?"

Yamamoto blinked, then nodded, "It can be assumed in good confidence, yes. It all depends on if she accepts."

"She will." The woman said immediately, looking again to Amalia, "I want it know that she is not to be allowed to become a full shinigami until she achieves shikai."

Amalia frowned, "Shikai?"

"Why so late?" Jushiro asked, "What if she never achieves it? It is rather difficult to do, after all."

"She will." The woman said immediately, again, "Amalia is far more skilled than she appears, and you will more than likely be shocked at how quickly she progresses." She looked at Amalia, grinning, "She will not be incredibly strong, but strength is only a small factor. It is her skill, unorthodox though it may be, that she will be known for."

Amalia blinked, "Why do I feel like my afterlife is being planned for me?"

"Next matter," The woman looked back to Yamamoto, "I will be her instructor."

"You?" Yamamoto asked, frowning, "We have plenty of—"

"Perfectly capable staff." The woman finished, nodding, "Yes, yes, I know. But, I am… a rather unusual zanpakuto, and your instructors will find it extremely difficult to deal with Amalia when it comes to teaching. In addition, she will not be capable of spoken kido as you teach it."

"What?" Chojiro Sasakibe asked, frowning, "All shinigami must be capable of spoken kido in order to become shinigami. To have it otherwise is unacceptable."

"And what would you do with her, then?" The woman asked, frowning at the lieutenant, "Release her back into the Rukon District? May I remind you that she is already using my powers, and will more than likely be an attraction for Hollows outside of these walls? And I will not stand for her to be held captive in Mayuri Kurotsuchi's lab for the rest of her life, either.

"You can either have her as a shinigami untaught in the traditional methods of spoken kido, or I will take her away from here and teach her on my own." The woman said, scowling, "I would rather avoid the latter, but my power is something she must master. There is no other way around it."

Amalia blinked, "Pushy, aren't you?"

"Spoken kido is something that is beyond her," The woman said, ignoring Amalia and narrowing her eyes at Sasakibe, "But that is not to say that she will be incapable of kido. Besides my power is more than enough to make up for that. That is just something you're going to have to accept."

Amalia frowned, "You scare me."

"The feeling is mutual," The woman replied, glancing at Amalia lazily, "But that is how it is. You and I are bound by powers greater than ourselves, so we must accept things they way they are. Now, onto your training; I think it would be best to start wi—"

"Hold it!" Amalia shouted, crossing her arms, "Did it ever occur to you that I don't want to be a shinigami?"

An uncomfortable silence fell across the room and the woman blinked, "No… no it didn't."

"Well, I don't." Amalia said, holding her stomach with her arms, "I don't really even want to be here anymore… I haven't wanted to be here anymore. I wanna go back to the Rukon District and meander around… live out a normal life to my standards of normal. I don't wanna fight."

The woman blinked, "Why not?"

"It's scary." Amalia muttered, her arms tightening their hold, "The Hollows scare me, the bright lights scare me, the feeling I get using those powers scares me… I don't want to do it."

The woman blinked again, this time slowly, "I see…" She paused, then shook her head, "Would you say that, even with our extremely short time of having known each other, we are friends?"

Amalia blinked, tilting her head slightly, "I guess."

The woman nodded, "Then would you permit me one favor?"

The room was silent as Amalia thought, her eyes falling to the ground and a look of real concentration crossing her face. The girl looked up a moment later and nodded, "Sure."

"At least think about it." The woman said immediately, nodding, "Give it a few days trial run, maybe a week, and seriously think about it." She raised her pale hands and took a step back, "That's all I ask, Amalia. At least give it enough time to learn my name."

Several people in the room gasped, a few muttering "A week?!"

Amalia blinked, turning to Renji, "It'll take me a week to learn her name?"

Renji frowned and shook his head, "It should actually take a lot longer than tha-"

"You can do it in a week." The woman cut in, keeping her eyes locked on Amalia. The room fell silent and the woman nodded, "I _know_ you can. One week to train, think, and learn my name. Then, if you still really don't want to, I'll never mention it again. You can do whatever detainment time they want you to do and return to the Rukon District, and I'll never pressure you into fighting a Hollow ever again."

Amalia let her hands fall to her sides and tilted her head, "A week…" She then nodded and smiled widely, "Alright, then. A week. Then, I'll know your name!"

The woman smiled wryly, "And you will hopefully have a definite answer." She then put on a serious face and nodded, "Very well, then. The terms are set. Your week of training will begin first thing tomorrow. Be prepared." And with that, the woman disappeared in a flash.

The room was silent as everyone stared at where the woman had been, the silence stretching for several minutes before Amalia gasped.

She clutched her chest, staring at the ground with wide eyes. She was trying to breathe, her breath hitching in her chest and choking noises echoing through the room as she coughed and gasped. Then, Amalia fell forward and crashed to the ground, passing out from lack of oxygen.

* * *

_Shortly after Amalia pitched over_

Several lieutenants and Retsu ran forward as Amalia fell, Renji catching her upper body before her head hit the ground.

"What happened?!" Momo gasped, moving to kneel but backing off as Retsu and Isane Kotetsu knelt and looked her over.

The room was silent as the shinigami waited for a report from the two members of the Medical Relief Squad, which they received a moment later when Retsu stood and shook her head.

"Exhaustion, as far as I can tell. She probably overexerted herself with that last kido attack."

"Exactly what kido _was_ that?" Rangiku Matsumoto asked, frowning, "I don't remember any spell that would have allowed for an attack of that degree…"

There was a pause, then Gin said, "Actually, I think it was probably more of a zanpakuto ability than a specific kido."

"That was more than likely the case." Yamamoto said loudly, summoning attention back to himself. He nodded to Retsu, "Take her to the infirmary and have her cared for. The rest of you go back to your duties."

As the shinigami began to exit, Yamamoto was struck with a thought.

"Jushiro!"

The sickly captain stopped, turning and walking back to stand before the General Captain. He waited silently as Yamamoto waited until all of the other captains and lieutenants had exited to speak.

"I want your squad to oversee her training." Yamamoto said when they were alone, "I care not who it is, as long as it is neither you nor your lieutenant. You two have too much work to handle to be worrying about the training of one student in particular."

Jushiro nodded, then bowed, "As you wish, General Captain."

* * *

_??_

_She gasped and writhed, the pain making it hard to breathe._

_What had she done to deserve this?_

_Why?_

"**Because you survived."**

_Something stabbed her in the abdomen, but her scream was silenced before it could even leave her mouth._

You can't scream if there is no one to hear it. What would be the point?

_Why… why… why… She hadn't meant for it to happen. If anything, she wished she had gone with them._

"**But you didn't. We had to go… but you got to stay. It wasn't fair. It ****isn't**** fair. Why was it just you?!"**

_She tried to scream again as something stabbed her in the ribs, then slowly twisted in circles. She tried to… but couldn't._

You can scream for pain that isn't there.

_She missed them all so much… There wasn't a day that went by that she didn't think about them—_

"**What a load of shit! Like hell you think about us every day! You can't even remember to tie your shoes every day!"**

_It stabbed her in the head, then moved in and out slowly, as if trying to swirl her brains around or churn them into butter. This time, she didn't even try to scream._

That's right… just accept it.

"**It wasn't like you were special… You weren't any better than us. You should have come with us, or we should have stayed with you. It should have been equal."**

_She wanted it to be… She wanted it to be that way so badly. Yet, here she was; she was here and they were there. What could she do?_

"**There's nothing you can do now. What is done is done. You clung like a leech to the light, and you made it. We tried to do the same… and we failed. It is how it is."**

…_Then why?_

Because jealousy rules all.

"**SHUT UP! YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING!"**

Because that is how humans are… How they always have been… How they always will be.

…_I'm sorry._

"**No… No you're not. After all, why would you be? You survived. …Even if we died, you ****survived****. Why should you be sorry for living?"**

…_Because you should have lived, too._

"…**Quit trying to sate my anger. It's pathetic."**

Humans… are such ugly creatures.

_I'm sorry._

* * *

_The Next Day_

"…blah blah blah zanpakuto blah blah shinigami blah blah blah blah kido blah Hollow…"

Amalia stared ahead listlessly, her mind replaying the dialogue that had taken place in her sleep last night over and over. 'Why is that coming back, now?...'

"Miss Kuruyaki!"

Amalia shook her head and blinked, "Huh?"

Jushiro sighed and frowned at her, pointing once again to the young woman beside him, "I said this is Rukia Kuchiki. She will be observing your training, providing assistance, and teaching you in rudimentary Seireitei rules, regulations and the like."

Amalia nodded, her eyes glazing over distractedly, "Yeah… uh-huh… thanks."

The captain shook his head, looking at his subordinate and nodding, "She's all yours, Rukia. I've reserved training field number eight for you down at the Academy, so please take her down there so that she can begin."

Rukia nodded and bowed, "Yes, Captain."

Jushiro nodded and walked off, heading back into the Squad 13 building.

Amalia stared after him for a moment, then turned to Rukia to talk to her, only to find the young woman gone.

"Are you coming or not?"

Rukia had already started walking to the Academy, pausing to let Amalia catch up.

"Sorry. Mind's not all here, today." Amalia muttered apologetically.

Rukia shrugged and started walking again, "From what I've gathered, your mind is rarely 'here'."

Amalia smiled and laughed, though it was strained, "Yeah… that's good old Amalia for you. She's two pieces short of a chess set and dimmer than a two-watt light bulb."

"Captain Ukitake says that you aren't as slow as you make yourself out to be." Rukia said, glancing at Amalia.

The not-quite-shinigami shrugged, "Captain Ukitake strikes me as a very kind man who has few bad things to say about anyone."

After that, they both fell silent.

Inside the Academy, Rukia led Amalia through several winding hallways and past dozens of occupied classrooms before they arrived at an enclosed grassy area.

"Here we are." Rukia said, standing beside the door, "Go ahead and start."

Sighing, Amalia walked to the center of the pitch and held out her tattered fan, flicking her wrist and snapping it open.

There was a slight flurry as a small tornado formed, the woman materializing in the center. She nodded to Amalia seriously, "Let us begin."


	8. A Short Reprieve

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Amalia) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

(A Short Reprieve)

"Again, Amalia! Stabilize your stance and try it again!"

Rukia watched with silent fascination as Amalia and her zanpakuto trained, the geisha-looking woman standing back and shouting commands that the young soul was quick to obey.

Though they were down to the last two days of Amalia's week long trial-training, it still amazed the shinigami to see a zanpakuto in the form the blue-haired woman was in.

"Very good." The woman said, nodding in approval, "Now, take it from the top and string all of the moves together into one combination."

Amalia started off with a single stance, then twisted herself around into a series of other stances, her tessen slicing through the air.

"How's it goin'?"

Rukia jumped slightly and turned, blinking at Renji, Izuru Kira and Shuhei Hisagi. She bowed slightly to them, then turned back to the training and nodded, "Well, I suppose. I can't really tell because they aren't following the Academy curriculum and they sometimes don't even talk to communicate."

Renji nodded, watching Amalia as she moved through a few stances before saying, "She's actually looking pretty good for someone who isn't being trained by a traditional instructor."

Rukia nodded, then looked back at the lieutenants and said, "She… doesn't have to say the spells to be able to use kido."

They looked at her, eyes wide.

"What?" Kira asked, blinking.

"She doesn't have to verbalize her kido." Rukia repeated, frowning slightly, "She just has to use her fan… She can't use kido without her fan, but as long as she has it and her zanpakuto recites the incantation to her, she can use kido without having to say anything, herself."

Renji frowned, "It has to recite the incantation every time?"

Rukia shook her head, "No… it only has to recite it once. After that… she can use the kido whenever."

The frowns on the shinigami lieutenant's faces deepened and they looked back to the training field, Hisagi asking, "Has… the zanpakuto recited every incantation to her?"

"No." Rukia said, relief on her face as she, too, turned back to the training field, "The zanpakuto is adamant on Amalia progressing through kido at a rate normal for any other student of the Academy."

Renji and Kira were both calmed by this, but Hisagi still frowned.

"She… she's breaking all of the rules by doing this." He sighed and shook his head, "Even if she isn't doing this on purpose… everything she does… everything she's done since day one breaks all of the rules… shatters everything we know, and yet… yet General Captain Yamamoto still allows her to continue training… Why?"

"Because he knows what I'll do if he doesn't."

The four shinigami jumped, staring at the blue-haired woman who had suddenly appeared beside them.

She looked at them out of the corner of her eye, then looked ahead and watched Amalia move through more stances, "Yamamoto knows that, if he doesn't let me train her here, I'll take her elsewhere and train her away from the Seireitei. He knows what could come of that… and he doesn't like the prospects."

Rukia stared at the zanpakuto incarnate, "What could… _come_ of it?"

The woman nodded, "Amalia could become, what the Seireitei would consider, a rogue shinigami." The zanpakuto shook her head, "As I have said before, I am an unusual zanpakuto. Having my master both capable of using me and her being a rogue is something Yamamoto definitely doesn't want, thus I am allowed to… _bend_ a few of the rules."

"Why are you doing this?" Hisagi asked, frowning.

The woman laughed slightly, "Because I want what every zanpakuto wants… I want to be useful to my master… I want to fulfill my purpose… I want to fight and destroy Hollows." She turned to them, her face drawn and serious, "And I will do _whatever_ it takes to make Amalia master of me, so long as that is what she wants." She looked to Amalia again, shouting, "Spread your feet! Keep yourself centered!" With that, she walked back onto the training field.

"…Scary." Renji said after a moment, frowning, "I wonder if all zanpakuto would go that far?"

The four shinigami looked at the weapons strapped to their hips, each of them deciding, 'Yeah… yeah, they would.'

"SHUT UP!!"

The four looked up, blinking when they saw Amalia glaring at her zanpakuto's incarnate and said incarnate taking a step back, shock on her face.

"I CAN'T STAND THIS!" Amalia screamed, grabbing her head, "THAT'S IT, I'M DONE! I'M TAKING A BREAK!" She dropped her fan and ran out an exit close to her, the woman disappearing when she was through the door.

The four shinigami stared after her for a moment, then Rukia wordlessly ran after her, leaving the three lieutenants behind.

* * *

(In front of First Division)

Amalia stopped running and collapsed, breathing heavily. She wasn't sure how long she had been running, but it had apparently been long enough to land her in front of the Squad 1's building. As she lay on the ground, panting, she began to think.

'I can't take it… I don't want to do this anymore… None of it… I want to go home…'

She pushed herself to her feet and walked into the building, determined to find Yamamoto and end the deal.

Oddly, though, all of the halls were abandoned.

She wandered the silent building for a while, eventually emerging to a large, dark room with a large square frame and a blue light in the center.

Amalia blinked and stared at it, "Ooooh… pretty…"

And, being the simple-minded Amalia she was, she walked forward and reached out, touching the Senkaimon Gate. Ironically enough, the very moment a Hell Butterfly landed on the gate.

Every shinigami in the Seireitei felt the pulse of the Senkaimon Gate as it was used, and (both knowing that no one was scheduled to head to Earth and recognizing the spiritual pressure of the person who had used it) they all thought the same thing.

'Crap.'

* * *

(On Earth)

Amalia looked around herself in confusion.

"…This isn't the Squad 1 building…"

…Wow… yeah. Great deduction, Amalia, but I've got news for you. IT ISN'T EVEN THE SOUL SOCIETY!

Go ahead, have the epiphany.

'…Wait a minute…'

Here it is.

"This isn't even the Soul Society, is it?"

Nope, that it is not.

"I'm… back on Earth."

Ding, ding, ding! We have a winner! Give the girl a prize! (Amalia tessen-smacks Rayna for being a bitch).

"How…" Amalia stood, looking around herself. She was standing in the middle of an empty street, buildings rising up on one side and trees on the other. After thinking about it for a moment, she realized where she was.

Back in Karakura Town.

Amalia blinked, then smiled widely, "Back here, eh? I wonder how everyone is doing…"

* * *

To say that Ichigo Kurosaki, on his way home from school, was shocked when a spirit approached him directly would have been a blatant lie. He was actually quite indifferent to it. After all, it wouldn't be the first time it had happened, and with his heightened spiritual senses it certainly wouldn't be the last.

He would give the girl one thing, though; she was certainly the most vocal.

"Hello, Mr. Kurosaki-not-quite-friend-but-strong-acquaintance-person!"

Glancing around briefly to make sure no one was watching, Ichigo turned to her and frowned, "'Strong acquaintance'? I don't recognize you at all."

The odd green-eyed girl instantly deflated, "Ohhh… you don't remember me at all?"

He shook his head, "No." Then, Ichigo stopped to think, blinking a moment later, "Hold on a minute, I do… Aren't you that girl who died a few weeks ago? The one who sat in the back of the class? What was your name… Amalia?"

Amalia smiled widely, "That'd be me! Yay, I'm so glad you remembered!"

"Yeah, you were the girl from the States." Ichigo frowned, "Odd girl, if I remember. You were always really quiet." When a reminiscent look crossed her face, he sighed, "What are you still doing in Karakura? Shouldn't you think about crossing over?"

"Meh, already did." Amalia replied lazily, waving her hand in a derisive manner, "Things got a bit weird, so I decided to take a vacation. Soo…" She smiled widely, again, "Can I hang out with you?"

"No." Ichigo answered immediately, making Amalia sigh and become slightly depressed. "Shouldn't you go see your family? Just to see how they're doing?"

At this, Amalia smiled bitterly and looked away, "As if. If I went to see them now, I'd never be able to leave… Besides, some subjects are better left untouched, in my opinion."

Ichigo shrugged, "Whatever, I'm going home, now." As he walked off, he shouted back, "And don't think about following me!"

She pouted, glaring after him and muttering, "As if I would, Captain Grumpy-Pants." After Ichigo disappeared from sight, Amalia sighed and leapt to the top of the nearest building, looking around, "Lemme see… where can I go for a bit?"

As her eyes scanned the city, they locked onto one area in particular; an area that seemed a bit… too blank. Too normal. As if someone were trying to hide something. To a normal person it would have been unnoticeable, but to Amalia (and her insatiable curiosity) it screamed 'COME AND LOOK AT ME!!'

She, of course, was not one to turn down such a tempting offer.

"Okay, then, here I come."

* * *

Jinta, who had just finished talking Ururu into doing the days chores, was lying back on the roof, staring at the sky, in order to stay out of sight of Tessai. After all, if the man caught him, he'd be forced to sweep, and that was something he definitely didn't want to do.

He was just about to doze off when an odd energy signature caught his attention, making him sit up abruptly and turn towards the source. Upon seeing someone standing on the sidewalk in front of the shop, he dropped down from the overhang and turned to Ururu, who was sweeping the porch.

"Hey, Ururu," He muttered, staring at the odd woman, "You sense that."

Nodding slowly, Ururu looked up and glanced at the woman, "I was hoping that, if I ignored her, she'd go away."

"We should tell Urahara." Jinta suggested.

"No need."

Both children stopped talking and turned to the man standing in the doorway of the shop and smiling at the woman.

"Hey, there." He said, waving cheerfully, "Can I help you?"

She blinked, then smiled back, "So, you can see me, too? That's great! I was getting pretty lonely."

Urahara paused, then beckoned to her, "You wanna come in? It's not safe for your kind to just wander around by themselves."

"Sure!" The woman chirped, skipping onto the property. She stopped before the porch and bowed slightly, "My name is—"

"Not yet," Urahara cut her off, stepping aside and gesturing to the door, "It's a lot safer in here."

Once inside, Tessai made tea and he and Urahara sat down with the woman, Jinta and Ururu sent off to finish their chores.

"So," Urahara began after taking drink of tea, "You were introducing yourself?"

"Oh, right!" Amalia set her teacup down and smiled brightly, "My name is Amalia Kuruyaki. It's a pleasure to meet you!"

Urahara smiled, "Kisuke Urahara, and it's a pleasure to meet you, as well. Now," He turned serious, "Tell me what a shinigami is doing wandering around alone in this town, and in civilian clothes, no less."

Amalia blinked in shock, "Eh? How did you… know?"

Urahara smiled mysteriously, "Let's just say I have my sources."

Amalia stared at him, then laughed nervously, "Well, to tell you the truth, I'm not really a shinigami so much as I am a shinigami-in-training."

"So, what are you doing here, then?" The shop owner frowned, "They aren't supposed to let trainees wander around the living world without accompaniment."

"Well, I kinda…" Amalia trailed off, her eyes lowering to her hands clasped in her lap, "I… don't really want to be a shinigami, but my zanpakuto wants me to. I did it for her for a bit, but it's all really overwhelming for me. I just wanted to be normal. I ran… and I ended up here."

"I see." Urahara said slowly, gesturing to Tessai to leave. The large man obliged, and once he was gone the shop owner poured them both more tea, "But, you know, you can't run from it like that; your zanpakuto is always with you. Your best bet would be to tell your instructors."

"That's just it." Amalia sighed, "My zanpakuto _is_ my instructor."

Urahara stopped, blinking and staring at her, "Well… _that's_ certainly out of the norm."

"So I've been told."

They were silent for a moment, Amalia picking up her tea and taking a sip. When she set it back down, she sighed, "You can come out, now. I know you're dying to say something."

The female manifestation of Amalia's zanpakuto appeared beside her, staring down at the table. "You shouldn't have run. You've put yourself in unnecessary danger."

Urahara looked between the two, silent.

"I don't know if I want this." Amalia muttered, clenching her hands, "I mean, this is a life changing decision. Wouldn't you be reluctant, too?"

The woman shook her head, "Not about this. Destroying Hollows is what I exist to do, and I would never hesitate to do it." She paused, then glanced at Amalia, "And as long as you have the power to act, you shouldn't hesitate, either."

Amalia jerked her head in the opposite direction of the woman, staring at the wall, "Things like this should be thought out, not jumped at haphazardly."

"How uncharacteristically deep of you." The woman sighed, "Look, I know why you're reluctant, but—"

"Don't pretend to know me." Amalia snapped, shaking, "Look, our deal ends tomorrow and I don't even have a physically manifestation of you, and I highly doubt I'll know your name, so if tomorrow ends and nothing has changed, remember… you promised to stop badgering me about it."

"You know, fighting with your zanpakuto is an indication of mental instability." Urahara said suddenly, making both women turn to him. "After all, the zanpakuto is part of the owner's soul, so having a disagreement with it as serious as this indicates inner turmoil and conflicting feelings."

The woman blinked, then frowned, "When did this become a counseling session?"

"It isn't," Urahara smiled, "Unless you think it needs to be one."

"No, we're fine." Amalia and the woman said at the same time.

Urahara sighed, "Well, I'm still free to listen." He glanced at the window, noting the setting sun, "If you need somewhere to say for the night, we have a cot we can set up in the one of the emptier storage rooms."

Amalia nodded, "That sounds wonderful, thank you."

Urahara nodded, standing, "I'll take you to it."

* * *

Unfortunately for Amalia, Urahara never said he'd help her get it.

So, while she struggled to pull a folded up cot down from a shelf four feet taller than her, the man just stood back and watched with a smile on his face and a fan in his hand.

When she finally got it down, he just said, "That work should be enough to make you rest well for the rest of the evening. Good night!"

Amalia wanted to yell after him, but he was right. She was exhausted.

Sighing, she flopped down onto the dusty mattress and stared at the ceiling.

Two hours later, she managed to fall asleep.


	9. End of Reprieve

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Amalia) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

(End of Reprieve: Told You It Would Be Short)

The next morning, Amalia woke with a crick in her neck, a stiff spine, a sore area on her ribs where she had collapsed on her fist, and a mounting headache.

All in all, not a great way to start off the day.

What made matters worse was the nagging feeling in the back of her mind.

"Jeez, leave me alone, already!" She screamed as she clutched her head, trying to will the feeling away. "I don't care what you want, I don't want to do it!"

"Fighting with your zanpakuto this early?" Urahara yawned, joining her at the breakfast table.

"No," Amalia pouted, "There's this stupid nagging feeling in the back of my head and it won't go away."

Urahara blinked at her sleepily, "What is it telling you to do?"

She shrugged, "No clue." For a moment, Amalia was silent. Then, she stood and bowed to Urahara, "I think I'll go for a walk. If I don't come back, it was a pleasure meeting you."

The man smiled at her, "Hey, listen, no matter what you decide, you zanpakuto is still apart of you. It'll stay with you and be content with whatever path you choose, even if it's not the path it wants."

Amalia nodded, "Thank you, Mr. Urahara. Well…" She smiled, "Goodbye." With that, she turned and walked to the door.

Tessai walked into the room when she was gone, carrying a plate, "Will she be alright?"

Urahara smiled mysteriously, "I have a feeling she'll be just fine. Now…" He looked at the plate, his smile widening, "Are those eggs?"

* * *

Amalia stared down at the stone that marked her grave.

"Kazuko Kuruyaki… they used my Japanese name." She smiled at this, "How like Auntie…"

"Hey, hurry up, Jiro!"

"I'm coming, Kenji, I'm coming!"

"Both of you stop it this instant!" An older woman snapped at them, "This is a place of the dead, and as such should be respected!"

Turning slowly, Amalia watched blankly as her younger twin brothers and aunt walked up the path, dressed in their finer clothes.

She stood back as they cleaned her tombstone and potted new flowers.

"Calla lilies…" Amalia smiled, "My favorite."

Then, the three knelt before the grave and closed their eyes, clasping their hands together.

Amalia closed her eyes, listening.

"_Hey, Ama._" Jiro… "_What's up, big sis? Things are okay here, though Auntie cries every now and then about you. Mom and Dad are upset, too; they even came to your funeral. I'm doing what you would have wanted me to, and I'm taking care of Kenji and Auntie. But still… I wish you were here._"

"_Things are really quiet around the house without you._" Kenji… "_I know Jiro is really upset, but he never says anything about it… then again, he doesn't say much of anything anymore. Auntie's trying real hard to make things okay, but…_"

"_Foolish girl…_" Auntie… "_Your brothers think about you every day, and without you it's been hard to control them, least of all understand them. Your parents tried to take them back, but they wanted to stay here. They're holding up well, but… things aren't the same without you. Then again, anything would be different if little Kazuko just disappeared… And everything is different._"

When Amalia opened her eyes again, tears poured out of them. She walked up behind her brothers and knelt, wrapping her arms around their shoulders. "I miss you two… so much."

As if they felt and heard her, the two boys lowered their heads and started to cry. Beside them, their aunt already had tears trailing down her face.

Withdrawing, Amalia sat back and watched them a bit longer, reminiscing about the past.

Then, roughly an hour after they arrived, they got up to leave.

Amalia watched them as they went, smiling when her brothers began to argue playfully like they always had.

Then…

"Wha?"

Amalia watched in horror as a centipede Hollow shot out of the nearby forest, knocking her Aunt aside and grabbing hold of her two brothers.

"My, my," The Hollow cackled, "What a lovely snack I've caught for myself today."

"Jiro!" Amalia screamed, running forward, "Kenji!"

The Hollow paused, glancing at Amalia. It cackled again, "Ahhh, another spirit, this one without a body. Perfect!" A tendril shot out of its body and wrapped around Amalia, suspending her in the air. "Bodiless souls are even better then living humans; because there's no cumbersome shell to peel away. I'll eat you first, then tear the boys apart and devour them!"

Amalia glared at the Hollow, gritting her teeth, "Don't mistake me for someone who's helpless."

"Huh?" The Hollow paused, then screamed, "Geaaaahhh!" It's tendril retracted quickly, smoking slightly. "Wha… what in the hell just happened?!" It then stared at Amalia.

Around her, an icy blue energy crackled and sparked like fire, and when she glared up at the Hollow it flared. "Drop the boys. Now."

"Oh? What's this? A young shinigami?" The Hollow asked, laughing a bit, "But what a waste. You did manage to burn me, but you used so much energy to do it. You haven't had much training, have you young shinigami?"

"I said drop the boys!" Amalia snapped, standing and clenching her hands at her sides, her reiatsu flaring even brighter.

"Hm." Another tendril shot out, smacking Amalia in the chest and throwing her back. "Feh, what a pathetic excuse for a shinigami, even one in training." The Hollow spat, "If you really want to save these boys, draw your weapon!" Another tendril picked her up and slammed her into the ground.

"H-hey," Amalia hissed, pushing herself to her hands and knees, "You there… voice?"

_I am, but I can't help you. You can't use kido without a weapon._

"What do I do?"

_Try dodging!_ The voice screamed as the Hollow threw its body at her.

"Who are you talking to?" The Hollow chided, "If you can't even keep your mind on the battle, I'll kill you now!"

"I need a tessen, or something." Amalia hissed, ducking behind a headstone.

_And where do you expect to find one in a graveyard?!_

"I'm aware of that!" Amalia shouted, running out from behind the headstone and ducking underneath the Hollow, "How do I get a physical manifestation of you, then?!"

_Ordinary shinigami would have already possessed one, but you're hardly an ordinary shinigami._ The woman remarked, _You'll need to learn my name in order to get your physical zanpakuto!_

Amalia rolled her eyes, "Well, I'm dead."

The Hollow stopped, glaring down at her derisively, "Well, if you're going to give up that quickly, I might as well finish of one of the boys now." It then lifted Jiro over its mouth.

"No! Stop!" Amalia screamed, jumping up and grabbing a hold of the Hollow, only to be smacked away a moment later.

"Fighting with you is no longer amusing," The Hollow muttered, lowering Jiro towards its mouth, "Just sit back and I'll get to you in a moment."

Amalia tried to jump to her feet again, but was stopped when one of the Hollow's feet from its main body pinned her to the ground.

'I… I never should have left my tessen.' She thought as she watched in horror as her brother was slowly lowered towards the creature's maw. 'If I had it, I could have done something.' She closed her eyes, 'I'm such an idiot!'

_Don't quit yet._ The woman said, suddenly sounding more serious than she ever had. _Come with me and I will give you the power you need._

Amalia sighed, 'There's no turning back after this, is there?'

_Do you really have time to worry about that now?_ The woman asked, no trace of emotion in her voice. _Now, come to me_.

After a brief pause, Amalia relaxed and let the woman pull her into the depths of her subconscious.

* * *

Amalia opened her eyes again and stared at the woman now standing in front of her, lilac eyes focused on her, solely.

"I don't know if you know this," The woman muttered, her navy hair rippling as she lowered her head, "But it hurts. It hurts that you cannot yet call me by my name."

"I'm sorry." Amalia muttered, lowering her eyes, herself.

The woman looked back up, "You must call me, Amalia… Kazuko. For the sake of your brothers, your aunt and yourself, you must call me. Say my name."

Amalia shook her head, "I don't know it."

"Find it, then." The woman commanded softly, stepping forward, "It's in you. You just have to look for it and call it."

Amalia clenched her hands, "In order to say someone's name you have to have somehow known it ahead of time." She looked at the woman desperately and shouted, "I DON'T KNOW IT!"

The woman's face became drawn and angry now, "There is no time for this, Amalia. Though time is measured differently here, it doesn't mean time has stopped passing in the real world. Call my name. Now!"

"HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU?!" Amalia screamed, "I DON'T KNOW IT!"

"I AM YOU, KAZUKO!" The woman screamed back, grabbing Amalia's neck and hoisting her off of the ground, "THE KNOWLEDGE YOU NEED IS ALREADY WITHIN YOU! SEARCH FOR IT AND CALL ME!!"

* * *

"HAYAJIHIME!!"

Amalia clenched her eyes shut as the wind picked up around her, swirling in a vortex and combining with her reiatsu.

"Wha-what the hell is this?!" The Hollow screamed.

Something smooth and cool formed in Amalia's hands, and she clamped down on it immediately, refusing to let go. After several moments, the vortex died and Amalia opened her eyes, staring at what was in her hands.

"A… katana?"

The sheath of the katana was a light sea green, the guard made of an amber-colored metal with overlapping circles connecting the largest, outer circle of the guard, and the hilt was wrapped with a gold braid.

"A-a-a-a zanpakuto?!" The Hollow screamed, dropping Jiro and Kenji out of shock, "From a puny soul without a lick of spiritual energy to a shinigami with a full-fledged zanpakuto… JUST WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU?!"

Ignoring the hysterical Hollow, Amalia stared at the katana for a moment, then blinked, "Uh… Hayajihime? As pretty as this sword is… I have no idea how to use it."

_This is true._ Hayajihime consented, _But that hardly matters. Now that you have a weapon again, you can use kido. Now, then, I do believe that the Destruction kido 33 will do nicely._

Nodding, Amalia raised her hand and pointed it at the Hollow's mask, "Blue Fire…"

The Hollow began to skitter backwards, "N-no! STOP!"

"CRASH DOWN!"

A blue shot of reiatsu shot out of Amalia's hand, striking the Hollow's head and splitting the mask. The Hollow screamed, then fell and disintegrated.

Amalia stood where she was for a moment, zanpakuto in her left hand and her right hand still held out. She panted heavily, a bead of sweat rolling down the side of her face. The Hollow was gone… her brothers were safe… and she felt… accomplished.

_Welcome, Kazuko Kuruyaki, to the world of the Shinigami._

* * *

Amalia waited beside the unconscious bodies of her brothers and aunt until more shinigami arrived, namely the Captain and Lieutenant of the Sixth Division.

'For them to have come personally means either that Hollow was strong… or the Seireitei noticed that I was missing… Probably the latter.' Amalia thought, standing as they approached.

"Amalia?!" Renji blinked as he approached, looking at the three unconscious humans at her feet and the katana strapped to her side. "What the hell happened here?"

Amalia sighed, "I know that I have a lot to explain, but could we possibly get these three home, first? I'd rather them not get targeted by another Hollow."

The two men blinked, and the stoic Byakuya frowned, "Do you even know where they live?"

"Better than you think." Amalia said with a smirk, picking up Jiro and hoisting him onto her back, "Jiro, I know you can hear me, so grab my neck and don't let go."

Though unconscious, Jiro complied, reminding Amalia of all of the times he had fallen asleep on the sofa and she had had to carry him to his room in this very manner. Next, she picked up Kenji in her arms and turned to her aunt, sighing in relief when she saw Renji had already grabbed her.

She led them the short way to her old home, shocking the men again when she expertly reached behind the porch light and grabbed the spare key. After making sure everyone was in their proper beds, they left the house, though not before Amalia took her time looking around one last time.

"So…" Renji began slowly as they walked away, "What's that you got there?"

Amalia smiled, hand reaching up to grab the sword attached to her left hip, "Allow me to introduce us…" She glanced at Renji and Byakuya, smiling, "My name is Kazuko Kuruyaki and this is my zanpakuto, Hayajihime, and I think that it's about time we were properly placed into a division."


	10. Shikai

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Amalia) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

(Shikai)

"Waddaya mean I can't be put into a division?!" Kazuko screamed, making most of the shinigami captains flinch.

Yamamoto sighed and shook his head, "The deal made with your zanpakuto was that you would not be allowed to be called a shinigami until you had achieved shikai. Though obtaining a physical manifestation of her in a week is quite a feat, I'm afraid that it's—"

"That's not all!" Kazuko interrupted with a wide smiled, giggling excitedly, "I know her name, too. It's Hayajihime."

"And I congratulate you on that, as well," Yamamoto sighed tiredly, "But it's still not enough for you to be placed into a division. You'll have to wait until shikai."

"What do I need to do to get to shikai?"

"Obtaining my name was the first major step." Kazuko turned to Hayajihime, who had formed behind her, and blinked. The woman went on, "But now you have to _command_ me to change by speaking the release command."

Kazuko frowned, "And how do I learn that?"

Hayajihime smiled pleasantly, "Training."

For a moment, Kazuko stared at her zanpakuto silently. Then, she unstrapped her sword and threw it aside. "I quit."

Hayajihime twitched, clenching her hands and storming over to her master. "Pick me up!" She shouted, punching Kazuko over the back of her head, "And don't just throw me around like a piece of garbage! I am an extremely powerful instrument of destruction and should be treated with care!"

Kazuko nursed the back of her head, making a face at the woman and mocking, "Neme neme ne zanpakuto meh meh meh meh meh Haya-chan is a whiner."

The zanpakuto pursed her lips, punching her master yet again, "And do not mock me!"

"Do not mock me!" Kazuko shouted back in a pitchy voice.

"Stop that!"

"Stop that!"

"Oh, grow up!"

"Grow up!"

"Both of you be quiet this instant!" Yamamoto shouted, effectively making both shinigami-in-training and zanpakuto turn to him. The man sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, pausing a moment before addressing Hayajihime, "Will you be continuing her training?"

"Actually, sir, that is something I've been needing to talk to you about." The zanpakuto frowned slightly, "There is little else I can teach her until she achieves shikai, which is something she must do on her own. Although, she _is_ lacking in basic swordsmanship…"

"Then she will report to Kenpachi Zaraki and Division 11 for training." Yamamoto said immediately, wanting to be rid of the matter. In fact, after he said this he stood abruptly and walked out a door behind his seat, leaving no room for argument.

"Hey! Wait!" Kazuko screamed after him, "You can't leave me there! His lieutenant still wants to kill me!"

But it was, of course, futile. Besides…

"You have other things to worry about if you're training with _my_ squad." Kenpachi said, laughing sharply when she turned to regard him with wide eyes, "Let's go then, squirt. Time you meet your new sparing mates."

Kazuko didn't move for a moment, but when she saw the rest of the shinigami were leaving, she quickly picked up her zanpakuto and ran after the man, determined not to be alone. 'After all, being with a bunch of ruffians is better than being alone, right?'

…Kazuko, you can be so stupid. (Rayna gets tessen-smacked again)

* * *

When Kenpachi first introduced Kazuko to the rest of the eleventh division, her first reaction was to dive behind the large man for cover.

From the other side of her giant-man-with-scary-spear wall, she heard the officers burst into laughter.

"As if she's safer with Captain Zaraki than with us!"

"Hey, brat," Kenpachi grunted, grabbing Kazuko by the nape of her neck, much like you would a cat, and setting her down in front of him, "Quit being a coward and introduce yourself, already."

When all focus was on her, Kazuko did nothing but stand silently, twitching.

After several uncomfortable moments, a small, pink-topped form shot out of the crowd of intimidating officers and latched itself onto Kazuko's neck.

"Mean lady is back!" Yachiru cheered, giggling.

Kazuko became even more nervous, much to the shock of the shinigami who thought her nervousness had already reached its bounds.

Feeling the shinigami-in-training tense underneath her, Yachiru looked up at her and blinked, tilting her head, "What's wrong, mean lady?"

After staring at the lieutenant for a few seconds, Kazuko managed to squeak, "You're… not going to kill me, are you?"

Yachiru stared at her for a moment, then burst into a fit of giggles, "Of course not, silly! In fact…" The young girl looked at the rest of the officers seriously and shouted, "If any of you hurt or scare mean lady, I'll kill you!"

The officers and Kazuko stared at Yachiru in shock, the latter slowly saying, "I thought you… hated me."

"Nope!" Yachiru shouted, one hand thrown into the air, "I was angry with you before, mean lady, but I'm over it now! So, what's your name?"

"Kazuko Kuruyaki…" Was her unsure reply.

Yachiru smiled widely, "And from now on, Little Kazu us my new friend!"

"Little… Kazu?" Kazuko blinked, her mental process train running into a brick wall and exploding, making millions of gerbils rain down from her mind sky.

Kenpachi, who was getting pretty impatient at this point, sighed heavily and shouted, "Listen, Kuruyaki is here for weapons training, so no, she's not a new division member. She's here on direct orders from the General-Captain, so don't kill her."

With that, Kazuko found herself mostly alienated from the rest of the division, who avoided her in order to avoid unnecessary conflict with and accidental murder of the odd girl with the picky zanpakuto.

In two weeks time, she had properly met only two other members, and Kenpachi was always busy doing other things, which meant she didn't get to see much of Yachiru… Not that she was _dying_ to see more of the girl, but at least the girl was her friend, or so the child said.

Kazuko, who was meditating in the training field (as you can imagine, quite a feat for someone with an attention span such as hers), was just about to head back inside when she was stopped.

"Ohh, Little Kazu!"

Smiling, Kazuko turned around and waved to the two figures approaching, "Hey, Yumichika! Hey, Ikkaku!"

The narcissist and the 'Cue ball' (a nickname Kazuko fell in love with as soon as she heard it) had been the only two members who had actually associated with her, and were two of her main sparring partners.

"And where are you off to?" Ikkaku asked, grinning, "Not trying to sulk off before you got some actual practice in, are you?"

Kazuko laughed nervously, "No…"

He rolled his eyes and gestured to a nearby empty training mat, "Let's go, Kazu."

Sighing and relenting, Kazuko removed Hayajihime from her hip and handed it over to Yumichika, who had declared the first day of actually talking to her that 'a zanpakuto that beautiful should never touch the ground'.

Then again, he was weird about things that struck him as 'beautiful'.

On the training mat, Ikkaku threw Kazuko a practice sword and took his offensive stance.

Both in response and by nature, Kazuko took her defensive stance.

"You know," Ikkaku began off-handedly, "You can't defend forever."

Kazuko shrugged, "I'm better at kido than I am at weapons."

Ikkaku shrugged back, then lunged.

They went back and forth for a while, Kazuko fumbling through her mind with the various stances Yumichika kept shouting at her and Ikkaku pulling back a lot so that the young shinigami-in-training could comprehend and act out the narcissist's suggestions.

Just when Ikkaku was about to call it quits, he was stopped.

"Ikkaku, push her harder!"

The two fighters faltered and stopped, and Yumichika stopped mid-suggestion and turned to his right, looking up at his captain.

"C-captain Zaraki!" Yumichika smiled uneasily, "I didn't notice you come up."

"Hm." Kenpachi sniffed, not even sparing the officer a glance. When neither Ikkaku nor Kazuko moved, Kenpachi sneered and shouted again, "Push her harder! Use more of your strength! Make her work!"

Swallowing, Kazuko turned to Ikkaku, who looked at her and shrugged, "At least you have forewarning." He then shot forward.

Reacting instantly, Kazuko flash stepped to the end of the mat behind Ikkaku.

The man pulled to a stop just before he ran out of mat, turning slowly and quirking a brow at her, "Whoa… Didn't know you were good at shunpo."

"Heh, it's actually one of the few shinigami skills I'm good at on my own." Kazuko admitted, laughing sheepishly, "I have to depend on Hayajihime for everything else; I can't even learn spoken kido properly."

"Hm, is that so?" Ikkaku asked, smirking, "Well, I suppose in order to counter that, we'll have to upgrade our weaponry."

Kazuko blinked, "Huh?" She then flinched and squeaked, a hand reaching out instinctively when her zanpakuto was thrown at her. She looked between Ikkaku, who had received his own weapon, and her sword, panicking, "We're going to use our zanpakuto?!"

"Yep, so draw already and prepare yourself!" Ikkaku shouted, running forward with his blade drawn.

Gasping, Kazuko grabbed her katana with both hands and held it out, blocking the blow with the still sheathed sword.

"Damn it, Kuruyaki!" Ikkaku shouted, jumping back, "This is no time to screw around! Draw your blade!" He leapt again.

Kazuko held her sword up to block again, but her train of though was interrupted when…

_Act._

When Ikkaku's blade crashed against her sheath, Kazuko took a step back and turned slightly, shifting her right hand to the hilt. As Hozukimaru slid down Hayajihime's sheath, Kazuko drew the blade and spun in a complete three hundred and sixty clockwise circle, her blade arcing into the air before it swung back down and landed on Hozukimaru's sheath, which Ikkaku had raised at the last moment.

Craning his head back, Ikkaku smirked at Kazuko, "It's about time."

Just when she was about to draw back, Kazuko was interrupted again.

_No. Stay and fight up close._

"That's not in our nature." Kazuko wined, making Ikkaku fall forward and crash onto the ground in shock. "You know melee battles aren't my forte! They make me uncomfortable, and I'm not good at them at all!"

"What in the hell are you doing?!" Ikkaku shouted, crouching and pointing at her, "This is no time to be talking to yourself!"

"It's not my fault!" Kazuko shouted back, "Hayajihime won't quit talking to me!"

Ikkaku drew back slightly at this, "Your zanpakuto?" When she nodded, he stared at her, a light of understanding flickering in his eyes as he glanced at Kenpachi, "I get it now… she's that close, is she?"

Kazuko watched this in confusion, blinking when the captain nodded. "What're you two talking about?"

"Nothing." Ikkaku answered after a moment, turning back to her and smacking the hilt of his sword against the butt of the sheath.

Kazuko's eyes widened at this. "Wh-what're you doing, Ikkaku?"

Instead of answering, he just smiled at said, "Extend, Hozukimaru."

Kazuko watched with ever widening eyes as Ikkaku's blade and sheath joined, forming a single long polearm.

"Get ready, Kazu." With that warning, he lunged.

Yelping, Kazuko ducked and crossed her sword and sheath, catching the blade of the pole in the niche they formed.

'He…he seems faster!'

_He doesn't_ seem_ faster; he _is_ faster._

"Hehe, I'm assuming that this is your shikai?"

Ikkaku smirked, "How perceptive of you."

Nervous, Kazuko fell back, landing on her butt. Catching Ikkaku off guard, she turned slightly and braced herself against the ground with the hand holding her sheath, pushing herself to her feet and flash stepping to the other end of the mat. There, she took a moment to attach her sheath to her hip so she could grasp the hilt of her sword with both hands.

"Sorry," Ikkaku tensed, "But I don't think that will help you. Hyaa!"

Flinching slightly, barely had time to raise her sword and stave the blow.

_He's too fast! You'll have to summon me in shikai!_

"And how do you propose I do that?" Kazuko hissed, her feet sliding back as Ikkaku pushed against her, "It took a near death experience to learn your name, and there are hardly any Hollows around here to help."

"True," Ikkaku said, getting the gist of her conversation, "But there is me. Split apart!" His polearm popped into three parts, the bladed end swinging around and aiming for her face.

_Amalia!_

"Dance in the wind, Hayajihime!"

The sword in Kazuko's hand shattered, releasing an energy pulse strong enough to push Ikkaku back several feet. The remaining pieces of the sword swirled and began to reform in front of her, taking the shape of a closed fan.

Kazuko reached out and grabbed the fan, snapping it open and quickly dropping into one of her tessen defense stances, her legs spread to brace her weight and her tessen held to the side slightly so she could see in front of her completely.

Just as Ikkaku began to recover from the energy blast, Kazuko shot forward and snapped the tessen shut, swinging it forward and smacking him across the face.

Ikkaku stumbled back but swung his zanpakuto up, the chains wrapping around Kazuko's arm and the blade swinging at her face again.

She watched with wide eyes as the blade closed in, then, when it was mere millimeters away from her face…

"Congratulations, Little Kazu."

Kazuko blinked in shock, looking around. Hozukimaru had already been reverted to its katana form and re-sheathed, and the three men were standing before her and smiling.

"Wha?..." Kazuko frowned, shaking her head.

"You achieved shikai." Yumichika supplied, "And beautifully, I might add. Your training here is done."

Still shocked, Kazuko looked down at the tessen in her hand, snapping it open and staring at it. "My… shikai?"


	11. Placement and Mission

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Amalia) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

(Placement and Mission)

"Shikai? Already?" Yamamoto asked, staring at Kenpachi in shock.

The eleventh division captain nodded, "Yep. Accomplished it in two weeks. Collapsed and fell into a deep sleep after it reverted back to standard form, too. She's been out for two days."

"Where is she currently?" The General-Captain asked immediately.

"Safe." Kenpachi assured, "I had Retsu send someone over and pick her up. She's resting in the fourth division medical bay."

Yamamoto sighed, sitting back and closing his eyes. For a moment, the room was silent.

"She's progressing too fast."

Kenpachi blinked, "Captain Genryusai?"

The old man sighed, bridging his fingers and staring at Kenpachi gravely, "Progression of her kind isn't normal, and the fact that her zanpakuto is so independent of her isn't helping matters." He pursed his lips, "I do not like what her presences foreshadows."

"Foreshadow?" Kenpachi asked, confused.

Yamamoto shook his head, "It's nothing, Zaraki." He then waved his hand, "You are dismissed."

When the man was gone, Yamamoto lowered his hands to his knees and clenched them, glaring off into space, "Kuruyaki…"

* * *

"I'm being transferred to the thirteenth division?" Kazuko asked, blinking.

"Yeah," Renji nodded, "It's usually where all of the newcomers end up. It's a… softer starting place." He smirking, "Good for someone who has such sucky fighting skills."

Her eyes flashed and he though she was going to curse him out, but her lip jutted out and the flash became comic tears, instead, "Meanie."

Renji shook his head and laughed.

Three days after her achievement of shikai and one day after she woke up, Kazuko had been discharged from Unohana's care and ordered to report to Jushiro Ukitake in the thirteenth division. Renji, who had been passing by, offered to take her.

"So," Renji began, changing the subject, "I heard you obtained shikai." He glanced at her with a guarded face, "How was it?"

She looked at him silently for a moment, then smiled widely, "Amazing."

Renji smiled back, his guard melting away, "I know, isn't it? The first time you and that part of your soul combine for a common purpose…" He shuddered, looking forward again, "It's a feeling you never forget."

Kazuko nodded, looking back down the path they were walking on.

The completion… the euphoria… the exhilarating power… Yes. She doubted she would ever forget the first time she had used shikai.

When they arrived a time later at the thirteenth building, Rukia was already waiting outside for them.

She bowed as they approached, "Captain Ukitake would like to see you as soon as you're ready."

"Okie dokie!" Kazuko replied cheerily, saluting.

Rukia was caught off guard, to say the least, and took a few comical steps back before she regained her balance and sighed, "Follow me, please."

Skipping forward a few steps, Kazuko threw a smile and a wave over her shoulder at Renji, who waved back before leaving.

Rukia led her silently through the halls of the thirteenth squad building, and due to the lack of conversation Kazuko quickly grew bored.

_Now is hardly the time to get curious._ Hayajihime reprimanded as her wielder slowed and looked around distractedly. _You'll wind up getting lost._

Kazuko sighed angrily, making Rukia falter and glance back at her.

"Is there… something wrong?"

"Eh?" Kazuko looked at Rukia, then smiled nervously and shook her head, "Nah, Haya is just being annoying again."

Rukia looked like she was about to ask, but seemed to think better of it and faced forward again, walking on.

Kazuko blinked, then followed, "Hayajihime. My zanpakuto." She rolled her eyes irritably, "Her and I are so dissimilar, it really shocks me that she's part of my soul."

"It's not uncommon for a zanpakuto to not represent your own personality exactly." Rukia informed dully, "After all, they're only one part of your soul; not the whole thing."

After listening to this carefully, Kazuko asked, "Why is it you sound so dreary?"

Once again, Rukia was caught off guard. "Wh-what?!" She asked, her voice raised several octaves and her hands flailing slightly.

"Dreary," Kazuko repeated, ticking off several synonyms on her fingers, "Monotonous, lifeless, unexcited, bleak, dis—"

"I know what it means!" Rukia shouted, swinging out to cuff the carefree girl over the head.

Kazuko dodged easily, shocking the Kuchiki when she smiled widely, "There's the character I knew you had in you! You should show it more often; people like charisma!"

Rukia blinked, then frowned, "Is that why you act the way you do?"

"Maay-be." The brunette replied secretively, reaching out and grabbing Rukia's shoulders, "Let's be friends, okay?"

'There seems to be no end to the shock she can put me through.' Rukia thought wryly as she stared at her fellow shinigami. "Why?"

"'Cause I like having friends!" Kazuko smiled widely, "They make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside! Kinda like when I eat granola bars! And marshmallows!"

Despite her confusion and surprise, Rukia couldn't hold back a slight smile as she shook her head, "Let's just report to Captain Ukitake, alright?"

"Aye, aye!" Kazuko saluted.

A moment later they were standing before a seated Jushiro, who leaned forward in his seat and smiled, "Ah, Miss Amalia. It's nice to see you doing well."

"The feeling is mutual, Captain Ukitake," Kazuko bowed, "But I kinda go by Kazuko these days."

Jushiro quirked a brow, smirking, "'Kinda'?"

Kazuko pursed her lips before giggling and smiling widely, "Okay, so pretty much everyone is staring to call me Kazuko."

"Very well then, Kazuko." Jushiro said with a nod. He then rifled through a few papers on his desk, pulling out a file from beneath a stack, "Now, I've been looking over your papers, and I must say that, though it was quite a feat for you to achieve shikai with Hayajihime and have the level of usable spoken kido like you do, not to mention your innate shunpo, your basic teaching leaves something to be desired. Unfortunately, your zanpakuto will not allow you to train normally at the Academy, so that leaves us with only one choice." He looked up at her seriously, "You will have to do serious field training, and I'm afraid this will require you to leave the Seireitei and even the Soul Society for extended periods of time."

Kazuko just stared at him blankly, not understanding.

Jushiro sighed, coughing slightly before dismissing Rukia. When she was gone, he clasped his hands in front of his face and arched his two pointer fingers, continuing, "As I am sure you know, there are a vast number of religions in the world, each with its own set views on the afterlife.

"For a large majority of Japan that religion is and has been Shinto, thus explaining why the Soul Society is not overflowing more than it already is with the populations of people dying every day outside of Japan; though the Soul Society is large, it is simply impossible to imagine that it would be able to house the trillions that occupy Earth.

"Because the Soul Society focuses more on protecting Japan from Hollows, as you can imagine Hollows outside of Japan run a bit more… rampant. This, I believe, would be the perfect environment in which to treat you."

He nodded to her, "Alongside a group of fellow shinigami who travel the world for the very purpose of eradicating any Hollows that cross their path, there is nowhere better to learn the essentials that you still lack in your education."

"I… see…" Kazuko replied slowly, blinking, "How long would I be gone?"

"There is a… limit as to how long a shinigami or group of can be sent out on missions from the Seireitei," Jushiro answered carefully, "But I can imagine that it would be necessary for you to go out like this for some time.

"Of course, as you can imagine, your return trips to the Seireitei would be short-lived and, after a time, I am told that you hardly notice them at all, so I won't bother trying to fool you and put it plainly; you would be gone for several years."

Kazuko nodded, biting her lip, "I… I suppose you wouldn't do this unless it was absolutely necessary… unless I really needed the training."

Jushiro nodded, "That I would not."

She ran her upper teeth over her bottom lip, looking to the left side of the captain's desk distractedly, "When would I leave?"

"There will be a team reporting back in three days. You will join them then."

Kazuko, for her short attention span and usual cheeriness, noticed his use of 'will' rather than 'would'… a fact rather than possibility. He had already made his decision, and now was simply informing her of it.

She sighed, looking back to him and smiling. There would probably be nothing she could do to talk herself out of this, so she didn't bother trying. Besides, he was right; she did need more basic training… She just wasn't fond of the time it would take.

"Time is irrelevant when it comes to training, Kazuko." Both shinigami turned to face Hayajihime, who had manifested near the window and was looking out over the Seireitei. "Besides, this may be just the training we need…" The zanpakuto turned to Jushiro and nodded, "We'll be ready."

"I am sure you would be, Hayajihime," Jushiro nodded, glancing at Kazuko, "But will you be, Kazuko?"

Both shinigami and zanpakuto froze at this, shocked.

Though they had, thus far, proven that they were two different people, despite being the same entity, no one had every really addressed them as separate. They had always just… asked one or the other, generalizing that the answer would be the same on both ends, despite all evidence pointing to the contrary.

Once the initial shock had worn off, though, Kazuko just smiled again and nodded, "You bet, Captain! I will most definitely be ready!"

Jushiro smiled and nodded, "Good. Now, Rukia should be waiting outside to show you to the barracks. Everything for your journey will be ordered for you, so just sit back and wait patiently until then."

"Thank you." Kazuko bowed and was about to walk out when Hayajihime stopped her.

"Kazuko…" When her shinigami had turned to her, the zanpakuto nodded, "This will be… the last time I manifest myself like this for you until you achieve bankai."

Kazuko's eyes widened, "Why?!"

"Generally," Jushiro began to answer, nodding to the young shinigami when she turned to him, "A shinigami will not see their zanpakuto in this state until they are about to or have reached bankai."

Hayajihime nodded, "I did this for your sake. Now, there's really no need for this anymore; you're already settled in. I'll still be here, just… not in this form." She gestured down to her body.

"Oh…" Kazuko smiled, "Then I guess I'll have to work really hard to get to bankai, huh?"

The zanpakuto smiled ruefully, "I wish you luck, Amalia." She then faded.

Sighing, Kazuko turned and bowed once again to Jushiro before leaving the room, following the waiting Rukia dutifully as the young woman led her to the barracks. There, all she could do was wait until her mission began.

* * *

"You're leaving?!" Rukia exclaimed, glancing at the group of journeyman shinigami as they headed tiredly back to their squads to fill out their forms, "Why didn't you say anything?!"

Kazuko shrugged, "It never came up."

The two watched the group of eight shinigami closely, remembering what Jushiro had said.

'They'll be back in the early morning, head to their squads and fill out their reports. After that, they'll rest for the day. Near midnight they'll depart again, and that is when you will join them.'

"How long will you be gone?"

"A month, at most," Kazuko answered, "But when I come back, it'll only be for a day. Like these guys," She pointed to the weary shinigami, "After filling out their reports and resting, they'll be gone by midnight… and I'll be going with them. This mission… could last a few years, Captain Ukitake said."

"…What squads are they from?"

"Don't really know. It's supposed to be mixed to induce diverse abilities, so probably only one member from eight of the squads… I'll probably be the only squad thirteen member there."

"…" Rukia turned to her, "Are you going to tell Renji and the others goodbye?"

"No," Kazuko shook her head, "I'm not even going to tell you goodbye…" She looked at her and smiled, "Because I'll make sure that, no matter how tired I am, I'll come see you all every time I come back. So, there's really no point in saying goodbye!"

"B-but!" Rukia began, "What if you—"

"Then I'll see you the next time I come to the Soul Society." Kazuko cut in, smiling, "Don't worry so much, Rukia. It's not healthy."

Rukia stared at her for a moment, then smiled uneasily, "I guess you're right."

They shared a laugh, which died off quickly as they looked back at where the shinigami had been. They were already gone.

"Rukia…" Kazuko stared at the rising sun with a blank face, lifting a hand to brush aside her long bangs as the wind blew them into her face, "When this mission is all over… let's get everyone together and have a party, alright? One night of solid, no holds barred fun. All of us. …Okay?"

Rukia smiled slowly, then nodded, "Yeah. That sounds great, Kazuko."

* * *

"Who the hell are you?" A tall, gruff shinigami asked as Kazuko entered the Senkaimon Gate room of the first division, black butterflies darting around their heads.

Chewing on her lip nervously, Kazuko bowed and addressed the eight shinigami, "My name is Kazuko Kuruyaki. I was assigned to this group, I believe…"

"Ah, yes," Another of the eight, this one much gentler in tone, answered, stepping forward, "Captain Tosen mentioned your coming… you're from Thirteenth Division, yes?" When she nodded, he went on, "Introductions can be saved for later, considering we have a schedule to keep, but for now know my name: I am Akira Saito of the First Division and the leader of this group, Team Kiyomeru. Now," He gestured to the Senkaimon as the Hell Butterflies in the room began to conjugate towards it, "Are you ready?"

After a brief hesitation, Kazuko nodded, and when the Senkaimon Gate flared at the shinigami began to walk through, she followed, bringing up the rear.

Once her sandaled foot had gone all the way through and nothing was left, the blue flare died and the room went dark.

Somewhere in the Soul Society, Rukia sighed as her friend's reiatsu disappeared, snuffed out of sense as she left for the human world.


	12. Time Passes So Slowly

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Amalia) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

(Time Passes So Slowly)

Days went by with Kazuko off on her mission, and in that time those who knew her and cared to know about her whereabouts learned of her leaving.

Those who had come to think of her as friends, such as Renji, Ikkaku, Yumichika, and Yachiru were hurt at her sudden departure, but, for the most part, quickly came to accept it (the exception being Yachiru, who threw a tantrum so bad that even Kenpachi had problems calming her down).

Time went on and the days became a month, and then she was back.

Her robes were slightly tattered, there were dark circles under her eyes and she walked a bit lighter than she had, as if always anticipating an attack, but she was still the same happy-go-cheery Kazuko.

As promised, she, Rukia, and the others had a party, and before the day was over almost all of the Seireitei had heard about it and most of the captains, lieutenants and several unseated officers joined, but early in the evening Kazuko, who had been out of it all day, had exchanged a few short 'see you later'-type farewells with her friends and had slinked back to the thirteenth division barracks, filling out a short report before promptly collapsing.

She was gone by midnight, her reiatsu disappearing without notice.

Another month came with her returning, spending time with her friends, then leaving, then another month, then another, then another.

Every time, she would excuse herself earlier and earlier, and then, on the eighth month of her mission, she didn't come at all.

None of her friends thought much of this; as every month had passed she had looked more and more haggard, the dark circles increasing in size and intensity. Still, her bubbly personality persevered, so they excused her absence as exhaustion and let her have her rest, Rukia not even looking for her in the barracks.

The ninth month she didn't show, but still they played it up to exhaustion and let her be. The tenth month, though, they all noticed that they hadn't even heard from her since three months prior, and though they could feel her reiatsu whenever she was scheduled to come back, no one ever saw her.

Finally, during the eleventh month of her no-show, Rukia went into the barracks and looked for her, shocked at what she found.

* * *

"…—zuko? Kazuko?"

Groaning, Kazuko rolled over and dropped an arm over her head, pushing the pillow there down harder. She could feel her zanpakuto boring into her side, but was too tired to care. She really needed to remember to take it off before she got so sleepy…

"Kazu? Kazuko?"

…Who in the hell was that? Couldn't they see she was sleeping? …Inconsiderate jerks…

"Kazuko?"

Honestly, she barely got enough sleep as it was.

"Kazuko?"

Damned Seireitei shinigami had _no_ clue what real exhaustion was, so they never stopped to think about waking journeyman shinigami from their well-deserved rest.

"Kazu? Can you hear me?"

'If course I can, idiot.' Kazuko thought bitterly, snuggling further into her bed, 'I'm just pretending not to.'

"Kazuko?"

"Mmmmhummm… go 'way…"

"…Kazu?"

'You just won't give up, will you?' "What?" Kazuko asked, sitting up and looking at the person in front of her blearily. It took a moment for the person's shape to from, and then a moment longer to recognize who it was. "Rukia?"

Rukia sighed in relief, smiling, "So you _are_ awake! I was almost about to go get someone from the fourth squad! You seemed almost comatose and—"

"Was there something you wanted, Rukia?" Kazuko cut in tiredly, closing her eyes to rest them even as she remained sitting up, "I'm really rather tired at the moment."

"O-oh." Rukia stuttered, blinking, "Well, it's just… we haven't seen you in quite a while, and we were starting to get worried. I was going to ask you to come see the others, but…" Smiling suddenly, Rukia sat down on the bed, "If you're tired, we can just stay here. So, how are things going? Do you fight a lot of Hollows? What's the largest you've seen? What are your tea—"

"Things are fine." Kazuko answered shortly, "We fight roughly twenty Hollows a day, at least three of which are Menos Grande, and my teammates haven't changed a bit since you first asked. And, before you ask; yes, I have to leave at midnight." She opened her eyes and blinked blearily, "Is that all?"

The room was silent.

Registering the shock on the young Kuchiki's face, Kazuko sighed and lay back down, closing her eyes, "Forgive me, Rukia, but I'm tired. It was nice seeing you, but could you perhaps please let me rest for now? I'll try to come to see you later, before I go…" She was asleep before she could finish.

Put down and hurt, Rukia rose stolidly and left, leaving the thirteenth division and searching for someone, anyone, to talk to.

She was thankful that the first person she ran into was Renji.

"And she just seemed so… so distant." Rukia sighed, crossing her arms and looking at the ground, "There wasn't any of her usual cheeriness left at all, Renji."

"Well, what would you expect?"

Inhaling sharply, Rukia looked up at Renji and stared at him with wide, questioning eyes.

Renji shrugged, "Think about it, Rukia. She's a journeyman shinigami now. I don't know the specifics, but I've heard that after a few months they become quite distant. Exhaustion kicks in, and they know that any trip back to the Soul Society may be their last, so after a while they try not to keep a hold of any personal relationships they left behind."

Unsatisfied by this, Rukia moved to say something, but caught herself and held it back, lowering her eyes.

Seeing her protest, Renji shook his head and placed a hand heavily on Rukia's shoulder, "We all have to do our part for the Seireitei, Rukia, and it has been decided that this is how Kazu will do hers. Besides, just think, it'll only be for a few years." He smirked, "Who knows, maybe when its all done she'll be promoted and she'll be able to stay and work in the Gotei."

Rukia thought about this, then sighed, "I suppose you're right."

Nodding, Renji turned in the direction of his division and waved to Rukia, "I've got to go now; lots of paperwork to fill out. Later, Rukia."

She watched him go, a long sigh escaping her lips, "Well… I guess he's right… It was to be expected."

* * *

Who was it that said time passes quickly when you're having fun and slowly when you're miserable?

'…Whoever that was, the idiot clearly wasn't a shinigami.' Kazuko thought as she stepped out of the Senkaimon gate, stretching her arms over her head and yawning widely.

"You know, I can see your tonsils from here." An amused voice commented.

Kazuko rolled her eyes, "Not possible, Saito, when I had them removed at age eight."

Akira Saito chuckled, along with several other members of Team Kiyomeru. In the two years it had been since she had joined, Akira had noticed quite a change in the youngest member of the team.

At first, she had been so cheerful and bubbly everyone but him had immediately hated her, and even he found himself annoyed at her often. But, as time had gone on, they had not only gotten used to her cheeriness, she, herself, had started to change in order to survive around the rest of the team, not to mention life, itself.

"Quit being so argumentative, Kuruyaki. It's too early for that." The gruff voice of Seijiro Nakamura commanded. Initially, he had been the one most opposed to her joining, but upon seeing the large-scale attacks her zanpakuto was able to release he had to admit she was useful, even if using those particular abilities left her unconscious for as much as two days.

Sighing, Kazuko looked at the team that had become somewhat of a second family over the past two years:

Akira Saito, their leader and a member of the powerful First Division;

Seijiro Nakamura, a rough man from the infamous Eleventh Division;

Yahiko Hayashi, a soft-spoken medic from the Fourth Division with a glare that could kill when he was angered;

Daisuke Nojima, a slight pervert from the Fifth Division;

Tetsuya Hiraoka, a mute from the Ninth Division with a strong sense of right and wrong;

Hayashi Watanabe from the Eighth Division was the brains of the operation when it came to dealing with outsiders in a diplomatic way;

Genki Tanba, a meek thing from Seventh Division who was an absolute berserker whenever he used his zanpakuto;

Koichiro Mitsuishi, whose jokes were still infamous within the Third Division, or so he said.

Then, among those eight men, there was little Kazuko; barely a shinigami, never a student of the Academy, completely clueless to the details of her new occupation and who still got into fights with her own zanpakuto. A goof to the end, and yet a goof who was gradually growing more and more serious the longer she was on the journeyman mission.

"Which is why it's a good thing your mission with us ends here." Akira sighed.

Kazuko blinked, "Eh?"

"It's been two years, Kaz." The leader smiled, "Remember? Your apprenticeship is up. You've learned everything you need to learn, and your time as journeyman is over. That mission was your last with us."

"'Bout time, too." Seijiro commented, frowning, "You were starting to get about as grim as the rest of us."

Kazuko blinked again, "I don't get it."

Shaking his head, Yahiko patted her on the back and said, "You weren't made for the job of journeyman shinigami, Kazuko. You're too gentle for it."

Kazuko quirked a brow, "Pot, kettle, black, anyone?"

The medic smiled, "You know what I mean."

"So…" She looked at the men, "I'm really done here?"

Akira nodded, "You're to report to General-Captain Genryusai immediately for reassignment."

"Reassignment?" Kazuko asked, blinking in shock.

"C'mon, Lil Kaz," Koichiro laughed, "Is it so surprising that they'd need to reassign you after two intense years of journeyman training? Your power's grown quite a bit, and I honestly wouldn't be surprised if you wound up being a seated officer. Now, off with you!" He waved his hand at her, gesturing to the door, "Your future awaits!"

Kazuko ran to the door, then stopped and looked back at the eight men. Two years… even if in the span of a shinigami's life two years is nothing, it still meant something here. Even in two years… ties that could never be broken had been made.

"I'll see you all later, alright?" She smiled.

The eight men nodded, reminiscing as the girl turned and ran out of the room.

"She's a good kid." Hayashi muttered.

Seijiro nodded, "A bit stupid, but good."

"She'll make a fine shinigami." Hayashi said with a smile.

After a moment, Akira turned to his teammates and nodded, "Well? Let's go. We have reports to fill out and rest to catch up on before midnight."

* * *

Kazuko ran around the First Division building confusedly, her panic increasing as she realized she was getting herself lost.

'Why me…' She thought helplessly as she leaned against a wall and collapsed onto her butt, looking around with wide eyes. "Why?"

"Lost, Miss Kazuko?"

Kazuko jumped and squeaked, smiling nervously when she found herself facing the fox-faced Captain of the Third Division.

"Hehe, yeah, Captain Ichimaru, I am." She admitted sheepishly, scratching the back of her head. "I was supposed to meet General-Captain Genryusai, but… well…" She gestured around herself hopelessly.

"I see." He chuckled, "Follow me, then."

She relented easily and followed the captain, thinking to herself, 'Maybe he's not as bad as I thought he was…'

_Do not lower your guard around him, Kazuko._ Hayajihime whispered, _Be safe._

Kazuko frowned. Ever since the last time she had seen her zanpakuto's human manifestation, her voice had gradually become softer and softer, and was now nothing more than a whisper.

"You're not leaving me, right Haya?" She had asked one night while on journeyman patrol.

_No, Amalia. Just biding my time and energy until bankai, is all._ The woman had answered.

'I don't think I could stand losing you, Haya.' Kazuko thought now, as she followed Gin through the maze of halls in the First Division.

_That's nothing you have to worry about, Kazuko._ Hayajihime assured in her steady whisper, _I'll always be here, no matter what._

"Hey, Little Kazu, are you in there?"

"Meep!" Kazuko snapped out of her reverie and looked up at Gin, who was standing beside her and looking down at her with a quirked brow, "Uh… Hehe… Hi?"

Gin just smirked, "I said, here we are." He gestured to his left, bringing the large door with the giant one painted onto it.

Nodding her thanks, Kazuko walked before the door and waited, wondering how to announce her presence…

"Enter."

Gulping, Kazuko watched as the door slid open slightly of its own accord and walked in, jumping when the door shut behind her sharply.

It was a bit darker in the room, and she had to wait for her eyes to adjust, but when they did she was faced with the General-Captain and his Lieutenant, Jushiro and his two Third Seat officers, and…

"Captain Kuchiki." Kazuko bowed, "Lieutenant Abarai. This is surprise… I am honored…"

"Much thought has gone into your new placement, Kuruyaki." Yamamoto said, "But, before the final word is given, if you wouldn't mind demonstrating your abilities."

Kazuko blinked, tilting her head, "By…"

"A quick spar."

"Against who?"

"In due time, Kuruyaki."


	13. Kaleidoscope

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Amalia) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

(Kaleidoscope)

"Nuh-uh."

"Miss Kuruyaki—"

"I refuse."

"Why?"

"Because I value my life."

"Miss Kuruyaki, this is hardly a battle to the death—"

"With all due respect, sir, you're a captain. **The** _General-Captain_ at that. Of course a match against him wouldn't seem like a death match to you, but to someone like me, who may I remind you has absolutely no inclination to the ways of the sword whatsoever, agreeing to this would be like me signing my own death certificate."

"…Miss Kuruyaki, there is absolutely nothing to worry about. I assure you, Lieutenant Abarai knows when someone has reached their limit."

"No need to worry, Little Kazu." Renji called from the opposite end of the training field he, Kazuko, Yamamoto and Byakuya were currently occupying. He had a wicked smirk plastered on his face as he went on, "I won't hurt you too bad."

Kazuko twitched at this, turning to Yamamoto and slumping over, "I don't suppose there's any way for me to get out of this?"

The elderly shinigami glared at her, "No."

Sighing, Kazuko grabbed the hilt of her sword, 'Well, Haya, looks like we have a spar—'

_I refuse._

Kazuko froze, looking down at her zanpakuto and blinking, "What?"

Renji frowned, "What's wrong?" All he got in answer, though, was Kazuko holing up her hand, telling him to wait.

_Kazuko, I'm tired. Unless there's a Hollow I need to fight, leave me alone for the next few days._

"You can't refuse to fight!" Kazuko shouted, not realizing she was talking out loud. "It's not like I can frikkin' do this by myself, Haya!"

_You're going to have to figure out how._

"Hayajihime!"

"Is there a problem, Kuruyaki?"

Kazuko flinched at the dropped 'Miss', turning to the general-captain and laughing nervously, "Hehe, Haya's just been a little difficult, is all."

_No, I am not. I'm telling you I don't want to fight right now._

"Well that's too bad." Kazuko hissed, watching with wide eyes as the zanpakuto at Renji's side began to flare with red energy. "Because I think Zabimaru does."

_Then tell Zabimaru to find some other person to fight, because I'm not interested._

"Whatever's going on over there," Renji said loudly, drawing his sword, "You two had better get over it."

Panicking, Kazuko went to draw Hayajihime, only to stare at the sword when it refused to leave the sheath. "Haya!"

_No means no._

When Renji dove at her, it was all Kazuko could do to pull out her sword, sheath and all, to hold back the attack.

"She's really refusing to fight, ain't she?" Renji grunted, pulling Zabimaru back and swinging again horizontally.

Kazuko turned towards the attack, holding out Hayajihime again and biting her lip when Zabimaru's blade bit through the wood and screeched against the metal beneath.

_Oh, HELL NO does ANYONE touch me like that!_

Kazuko fumbled, grasping the hilt of her sword clumsily as it basically jumped out of the sheath.

Renji jumped back at the sudden spike in energy, quirking a brow, "Did I upset you or her?"

"Hehe," Kazuko laughed sheepishly, doing her best to control her sword as it tried, repeatedly, to get her to jump forward and attack, "Her, actually. And I think she's angrier at Zabimaru…"

_RELEASE SHIKAI THIS INSTANT!_ Hayajihime screamed, her voice as strong as it had ever been. _I WILL PULVERIZE THAT MONKEY!_

Twisting her foot slightly, Kazuko jumped backwards several feet, tucking her sheath into her sash and holding the hilt of her sword with both hands.

Renji stared at her for a moment, watching her zanpakuto as energy built up around it, "She's pretty angry…"

"She's also rather vain." Kazuko chuckled, glancing at her blade when it began to vibrate.

"Well, if she's so eager to fight," Renji tensed, smirking, "Zabimaru and I will be happy to oblige." He then vanished.

Vanished, though, does not imply that he was gone, Kazuko realized as she turned sharply, barely managing to block the blow that came at her from behind. Vanished meant that her eyes failed to see him move… He was fast… Faster than she remembered Yachiru being… Faster than she remembered even Gin being.

What in the hell was going on here?

…Still, she had managed to block his attack, which she supposed was good enou—

"Uhhh…!"

Red… where had… all of this red come from?…

Kazuko gasped and clutched her shoulder, clenching her teeth tightly at the pain and blood that was suddenly blooming from a wound she hadn't even noticed herself sustain.

"You look confused, Kazu." Renji observed, his smirk fading slightly, "You didn't honestly think that the last time you fought against Lieutenant Kusajishi and Captain Ichimaru that they were seriously 'fighting' back, did you?" He shook his head, "If they had, you would have died two years ago, Kazuko." His smirk faded completely and he became serious, tightening his grip on his sword, "After hearing about what you've been doing as a journeyman shinigami, I'll admit I'm impressed that you've done what you have, but it won't be the same here. This is shinigami versus shinigami." He narrowed his eyes, "You're going to have to do a whole lot better. Now," He ran forward, holding out his sword, "Show me what you can do!"

"Dance in the wind, Hayajihime!"

Renji, still charging, barely had time to register the change as her zanpakuto went through initial release, transforming from a sword into a tessen, and then had even less time to process how he had gone from charging to being thrown backwards several feet. After flailing his arms a bit and regaining his balance, his eyes widened and he grabbed his cheek.

"DID YOU JUST SLAP ME?!"

"Actually," Kazuko smiled, snapping her fan open and covering the lower half of her face coyly, "I tessen-smacked you."

Renji stared at her, his eye twitching.

"You see, during my time with the journeyman shinigami, I discovered something." The tessen snapped shut, was repositioned down by her left hip with her wrist twisted at an odd angle, then reopened. "Swordsmanship is not my forte, and it never will be. At first, I thought I could get better, and I did, to a certain level. But that level wasn't nearly high enough for me to compete against other shinigami or even Hollows, I had to do something else."

As he listened, Renji ran his hand down the length of his blade, muttering "Howl, Zabimaru".

When the transformation was complete, Kazuko went on, "Clearly I couldn't depend on spoken kido, because of the obvious fact that I need Haya to tell me the incantation before I use it, and I'm still in the process of learning the thirty-fourth destruction incantation, but even if I knew it, it would hardly mean anything against a Menos Grande if I were the only one performing it. So, what left was there? What left…" Her arm tensed, "Other than using my own kido-based zanpakuto attacks?"

Renji held Zabimaru horizontally, bracing the back of the blade with his hand as the front took an assault from a volley of navy wind blades that had generated when Kazuko had swung her tessen.

Blocking the blades, though, was effortless on Renji's behalf, and Kazuko saw this. 'I am way outclassed here… Oh, well.' She ran forward, arm in front of her face and tessen snapped open to the left side, 'It's just a spar, right?' Muscles tensed to the point of paining her, Kazuko swung her arm forward, her arm snapping like a spring.

Sparks flashed as the metal crashed against metal, the thin inner blades of the tessen snapping as they ran along Zabimaru until the thicker, outer rim found purchase against the edge of Zabimaru.

"That it?" Renji smirked, teasing, "I thought you'd have gotten better."

Kazuko quirked a brow, "And I thought you'd have gotten enough sense to at least get a trim, but that mane of yours looks as long as ever."

Renji's smirk grew, "Who trained you to say that?"

"Koichiro, actually."

"That trickster? He's still alive?"

"Yep; alive and joking."

"Damn." Renji pressed forward, grinning, "Then I guess we'll be hearing echoes of his humor through you now, eh?"

Kazuko winced as Zabimaru bore down on her, bending her backwards until her spine creaked. "Maybe…" She then pushed forward, jumping back once she had Renji pushed far enough away.

As she moved, though, she winced, eyes flickering down to the wound on her shoulder. It was still bleeding, though not as bad as before. Kazuko could feel her face go cold as she looked away, swaying a bit as she focused on Renji.

He blinked, removing one hand from Zabimaru's hilt and swinging the blade up to rest on his shoulder, "You alright? You look a little… ashen."

"Fine!" She squeaked, closing her eyes and shaking her head as everything flashed a bright blue, "Just fine…" When everything flashed blue again, she raised a fist and punched her temple. "I think something's wrong with my eyes, though…" She punched herself again.

Renji watched her as she punched herself ten times, stopping every now and then to close her eyes and shake her head. When it became clear to him that she wouldn't stop until she had fixed the 'problem' with her eyes, he glanced back at his Captain and blinked slowly, "Sir?"

Byakuya, who had pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes when Kazuko had started to punch herself, flicked his wrist at Renji dismissively, "Take her to the barracks and get her set up with a rooming assignment. She can wait for a seating placement when we get new recruits from the Academy, if she even ranks for a seat by that time."

Renji bowed to Byakuya, but the man didn't seem to notice as he turned towards Yamamoto and began to talk to the older captain, the two men leaving the lieutenant and the estranged girl in the training room, the latter becoming quite distraught as she realized that punching herself just seemed to be making things worse.

As if to prove her unsaid point, Renji turned orange as he faced her and walked a few steps towards her. "Kaz?"

She looked down at the red dripping off of her hands, frowning slightly as it changed from red to purple. "I dunno if I ever told you, but… I'm kinda squeamish."

Renji blinked, "You serious?"

Kazuko nodded, squeezing her eyes shut as her blood changed from purple back to red. She swallowed, then nodded slowly, "Yeah, unfortunately…"

Frowning, the still-orange Renji drew even closer, making Kazuko panic as he turned from orange to a vanilla and orange sherbet swirl, accented with black sprinkles.

"Th-that's alright!" Kazuko squeaked, holding out her hands and backing away, "I'm fine! Honest! I'll just make my way back to the barracks on my own!"

Renji cocked an orange and black sprinkled brow, crossing his arms, "And once you get there, what are you going to do? Do you know which rooms have vacancy? Are you qualified to assign yourself a room? And, if not, do you know who to talk to to get yourself assigned?"

"Alright, alright, already." Kazuko groaned, shutting her eyes, "But don't mind me if I walk with my eyes closed; I don't want to look at you as long as my eyes are making you out to look like a frozen dairy treat."

Renji opened his mouth to question this, but immediately thought better of it and grabbed Kazuko by her sleeve, dragging her out of the practice room and towards the Sixth Division.

Once there, he quickly (and quite sloppily) filled out a boarding form, handed her a key and sent her off.

Alone, Kazuko stumbled down the tie-dye halls, stopping in front of a candy apple red door, inserted the hot pink key into the neon green handle and opened it, stepping into the pitch black room.

She wasn't sure if it was her wacked sense of vision, which was now shifting through colors faster than a lava lamp on speed, that made the room so black or if it was because there was no light on and the curtains were shut, but either way all she wanted to do was collapse and sleep.

_I'm sorry, Amalia, but I am afraid that this is one of the consequences that comes with having a zanpakuto as odd as me…_ Hayajihime said, her voice wispy, _You will never be able to use me without feeling completely drained afterwards… Because I have to make up for your lacking zanjutsu and spoken kido skills, your reiatsu is drained at an accelerated rate._

"I know that," Kazuko muttered sleepily as she stumbled around the room, her lids closed over her burning eyes. She felt like she had had them open for so long… "But I hate feeling so tired after every use… Isn't there some way to make up for this?"

_I'm afraid not. Whenever you summon reiatsu, this will happen._

"This blows." The tired shinigami whimpered.

She was a person who was full of energy that constantly needed to be burned, and needing to sleep like this every time she preformed what, to others, was a simple task rubbed her all wrong.

She knew that she would regret becoming a shinigami.

_This is enough reason for you to want to quit?_ Hayajihime whispered, abashed, as her user crashed onto a stiff, musty mattress. _It's pathetic, Amalia._

"It doesn't feel right." She moaned, "Feeling this tired all the time… it doesn't feel right at all. I don't like it. I don't want to feel it. I want out."

_Amalia…_ Hayajihime sighed, _Grow up._

* * *

_Pain… pain… PAIN!!_

_Why?!_

_Why did she do to deserve these hot iron brands of pain?! These thick bars of twisted metal that burned her skin to a crisp, then bore into her being and twisted, churning her innards._

_She smelt her skin burning… and she felt angry hands holding her down, making her suffer._

_WHY?!_

"**You were no more deserving than the rest of us! Why did only you live?! You must suffer for that!"**

_She couldn't help surviving! …She could tell, though, that her torturer knew this… and didn't care._

Jealousy can turn humans into such ugly creatures.

"**Do you remember now?! Do you remember that night?! I tried… I tried so hard to live… BUT THEY CAME TO YOU FIRST AND LET ME DIE!"**

_Hot, thick, white brands trailing across her skin, leaving searing welts that burned and boiled, some exploding with puss and fluids._

_STOP! PLEASE, STOP THIS!_

…_it hurts…_

It's only in your mind, though. How can you stop nonexistent pain? It's simple; you can't.

"**They're right, you know. Just give up and let me finish you—"**

"Get away from my human."

"**Wha?! You!—"**

…_Haya?_

"If you come to her one more time like this… I'll make sure you suffer when we finally meet, face to face."

"…**Heh. I'd like to see that."**

Light versus dark and friend turned foe… how disgustingly cliché of you.

_Haya… it hurts… so much…_

"**Feh. Take your pathetic human and go, zanpakuto."**

"Follow me, Kazuko. We're leaving."

…_Okay…_

"**You'd better stick to your threat, zanpakuto!"**

Humans are such a violent race… Disgusting.

…_She just wanted to wake up._

Life is a dream… and to dream is to live. There is no escaping reality. Just accept it. You will never be at peace again. You will suffer… because the greater powers have decided it to be so. Whether or not you deserve it is not the question, for these are fickle human relativities.

You will suffer because it is beyond you to feel otherwise.

You will suffer because you are human…

And, as such, emotions and the like rule you.

"…Kazuko, it's time to wake up."

* * *

Kazuko shot into a sitting position, stared at the wall blearily, then fell back onto her bed and went back to sleep, completely forgetting her dream.

Beside her, her zanpakuto glowed a dull grey.


	14. The Caramel Dance

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Amalia) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

(The Caramel Dance)

"Kuruyaki, wake up."

Kazuko jumped when a cold voice snapped at her, leaping back to attention and ignoring the admonishing chuckles and frustrated sighs of her fellow shinigami around her. Though she was sure she had slept a full night, Kazuko felt, for some odd reason, extremely exhausted.

'The only time I feel this tired is when I have that dream.' She thought blearily, her straight stance waning, 'But I don't remember having it at all…'

"Kuruyaki…"

Wincing, Kazuko looked up into her captain's steely blue-grey eyes. "Hehe… Hey, Captain Kuchiki."

Byakuya narrowed his eyes at her, then closed them and let out a long, low sigh. "Kuruyaki," He began quietly after a moment, "I will only ask you once to not address me in such an informal tone."

Kazuko blinked, then straightened and bowed, saying in a more serious tone, "Forgive me, Captain Kuchiki. It won't happen again."

"See to it that it doesn't." He then moved on.

After morning routines, Renji approached Kazuko and patted her on the head, "Still not used to things, eh?"

"It's my first day, Lieutenant." Kazuko sighed, "And everyone knows that something is wrong with me. Only you and Captain Kuchiki will talk to me…"

Renji rubbed his chin thoughtfully, then smirked and nodded, "I think I have an idea."

* * *

"'The Shinigami Women's Association'?" Kazuko blinked, "There's a women's society in the Seireitie?"

Renji nodded, "Yep, and you already know some of the people in there, so go on in." When Kazuko looked up at him in shock, Renji sighed, "I already contacted Rangiku ahead of time, so she knows you're coming. Now, go in." He pushed her towards the door, then turned and walked away.

Kazuko stumbled forward at the force of Renji's push, teetering uneasily as she tried to regain her balance before bumping into the door. All she succeeded in doing, though, was tripping over her own feet and crashing into the door, falling head over heels as it opened inward and dumped her onto the floor.

"…Owie…"

"Miss Amalia?"

"Hey, Nemu." Kazuko muttered as she sat up, rubbing the top of her head. When she felt more than just Nemu's eyes on her, though, she froze. Moving her hands slightly, she panicked upon seeing several other high-ranking shinigami in the room, including several lieutenants and a captain. Kazuko twitched, "Eh… eh… eh… eh…"

"Are you alright, Miss Amalia?" Nemu asked, standing.

Kazuko just continued to twitch. 'Why… is everyone… staring?!'

"Amalia?" Yachiru blinked, "I thought she was Little Kazu!"

Nanao frowned, "Little… Kazu?"

The little girl nodded, hopping down from her podium and bouncing over to Kazuko, "Yeah! She was in the division with me and Kenny for a bit, then she went to Captain Uki, then she went with the journeyman, and now she's with Bya-Bya!"

"They're both my names," Kazuko muttered, "But I go by Kazuko now."

"So," Nanao pursed her lips, "You're in Division Six now, are you?"

Frightened, Kazuko nodded, "Yeah…"

After a moment, Nanao nodded approvingly, "It's about time someone from that division joined us. Come forward and introduce yourself."

"Uh, right." Kazuko jumped to her feet and walked to the front of the room, Yachiru sitting on her shoulders. Turning and facing her fellow female shinigami, she said, "My name is Kazuko Kuruyaki. I'm from the Sixth Division and… uh… well, Lieutenant Abarai told me about this place."

There were several resounding welcomes as Yachiru jumped down from Kazuko's back, pulling her over to the table.

"Sit, Kaz-Kaz, sit!" The small lieutenant pulled her down onto her butt, then turned and hopped back over to the podium, "And now, on with the games! Vice-Chairwoman!"

Nanao adjusted her glasses, "Yes… Chairwoman."

'Vice-Chairwoman?' Kazuko looked to Nanao, the mature adult. 'Chairwoman?!' She then looked to Yachiru, the immature child. 'What in the world?!'

"Now, for the first and foremost matter of business… the coronation of our newest member." Nanao pinned Kazuko with a stare.

Kazuko flinched, "Meep?!"

"You have to…" Yachiru began, tilting her head back and staring at the ceiling in deep contemplation. Then, her head snapped forward and she smiled widely, "Well, since you're in the Sixth Division, you can get a picture of Bya-Bya for us!"

Several women gasped, Rangiku sighing, "Chairwoman, none of _us_ have been able to get a picture of Captain Kuchiki. What makes you think Kazuko would be able to?"

Yachiru smirked secretively, "'Cuz Little Kaz has super secret sneaking skills."

"Magnificent alliteration, Chairwoman!" Kiyone exclaimed, pumping a fist into the air.

Kazuko twitched, 'These people… are all insane.'

"Waddya say, Kaz-Kaz?!"

Snapping out of her thoughts, Kazuko froze upon seeing the higher-ranking women's eyes on her. "Uh… sure?"

Yachiru smiled widely. "Great! Now, here's a camera," Someone chucked an old style single-lens reflex camera at Kazuko's head, "Some film," Two rolls of film struck her eyes, "And a snack!" A watermelon slammed into her gut. "Now, onward!"

Rolling over in pain, Kazuko grabbed the items that were thrown at her and dashed out of the room as quickly as she could, desperate to escape the mad women.

After she had left the room, the women tuned back to themselves and sighed, Rangiku asking, "So, who wants to bet that she'll fail miserably and probably get chased around the Seireitei by a kido attack from Byakuya?"

Several hands shot into the air.

* * *

"Captain Kuchiki…"

"No."

"…Captain Kuchiki, plea—"

"No."

"Won't you even hear me out?"

"…" Byakuya looked up from his papers, blinking vapidly, "You have thirty seconds, Kuruyaki. After that, you will leave my office."

"Okay." Kazuko nodded, then began to explain, "See, I recently joined the Shinigami Women's Association, and—"

"No." Byakuya looked back down at his papers.

Kazuko gapped, "Tha-that wasn't even ten seconds!"

"I know what you are going to say," Byakuya said, not looking up, "And I refuse to pose for a picture. I have already told Lieutenant Kusajishi this on multiple occasions, and I am not about to change my mind simply because she sent one of my subordinates to take the photo."

The room was silent for a bit, then Byakuya raised his hand and flicked his wrist, as if trying to bat her away from across the room.

"Your thirty seconds has expired. Leave through the same door you entered."

Kazuko stared at him for a moment, then silently turned and walked towards the door. Before she left, her eyes flashed, though no one saw it.

Of course… that doesn't mean no one _felt_ it.

When the door had shut behind her, Byakuya looked up from his papers and narrowed his eyes after her. 'That reiatsu… What was that… Kuruyaki?'

* * *

"Pardon, but do you happen to have any music newly imported from the human world?"

Now, Kazuko had learned the hard way that when it came to 'new' things from the human world, it was often that the Soul Society was behind on the times. Behind as in… ten years, typically.

So, Kazuko was glad that the song she was looking for was rather old, and was praying that it was old enough to be in stock in the store.

"What song are you looking for?"

Kazuko told the store manager.

After looking through the records, the man came back with a single CD. "You're quite lucky, you know. This is a fairly recent song, and we don't usually have foreign imports."

"How much?" Kazuko asked, setting her camera, film, and melon down on the counter in order to dig out her purse.

"…Pardon me, but is that a… watermelon?"

Kazuko froze upon hearing the odd tone in the man's voice. She studied the glint in his eye and slowly answered, "Yyyyeeeeeees?"

The man's eye began twitching. "Screw money. Give me that melon and you can have the CD. I'll even throw in a CD player."

"Make it a boombox."

"Deal."

* * *

Though Byakuya would never admit it out loud (hell, he hardly would admit it to himself in the sanctity of his own mind), he was nervous.

Something wasn't right.

He looked up from his papers slowly, eyes scanning the room. He inspected every nook, cranny, and shadow, but saw nothing to be wrong.

Of course, that doesn't mean he still didn't _feel_ something wrong.

Then, he realized what it was.

"Too quiet…" He muttered, the words echoing through the room, beneath the crack under the door, down the hall, throughout the Sixth Division, and across the Seireitie, waking up a family of marmosets on the edge of a forest fifty miles away.

Byakuya sat, tense, waiting to hear something other than the sound of his own breathing. Had his breathing not been so loud, he could have heard an eyelash fall to the ground.

'What is—'

Then, he heard it.

The electric piano. The insipid… _bubbly_ music.

"Oh, what's that, Captain Mayuri?"

Byakuya twitched as the poppy music began to speed up.

"You want me to teach you how to dance to Caramelldansen? Okay!"

It came from right outside his door. The sound of Kazuko's voice.

Despite the red lights going off in Byakuya's head and the voice of reason screaming that Mayuri would, for no logical reason, ever want to learn something called the 'Caramelldansen', especially not in front of the Sixth Division's Captain's office.

Unfortunately for Byakuya, the urge to see Mayuri learn something named a ridiculous name such as 'Caramelldansen' overrode all logic. He stood slowly and approached the door.

"_Vi undrar är ni redo att vara med  
Armarna upp nu ska ni få se  
Kom igen  
Vem som helst kan vara med_"

Byakuya, who couldn't make heads or tails of the lyrics, he vaguely thought 'Foreign' as he got closer and closer to the door.

"_Så rör på era fötter  
Oa-a-a  
Och vicka era höfter  
O-la-la-la  
Gör som vi  
Till denna melodi_"

'Must… see… Mayuri… dancing… Caramelldansen…' Byakuya reached out slowly, hand gripping the door.

"_Dansa med oss  
Klappa era händer  
Gör som vi gör  
Ta några steg åt vänster  
Lyssna och lär  
Missa inte chansen  
Nu är vi här med  
Caramelldansen_"

Bracing himself, Byakuya opened the door, only to face a—

Blinding white light.

"Thanks, Captain Byakuya!" A short mop of black hair turned on the spot and ran in the opposite direction, leaving Byakuya dazed, confused, and listening to Swedish pop music.

"_Oo-oo-oa-oa_

_Oo-oo-oa-oa-a_

_Oo-oo-oa-oa_

_Oo-oo-oa-oa-a_"

* * *

"You… You actually got it?!"

Kazuko nodded, smiling widely as the women looked at the picture in shock.

Fortunately for Kazuko, Byakuya was extremely photogenic; there wasn't a single move he made that made him look less like a supermodel than he already appeared. Even though he must have been shocked and dazed when the picture was taken, Byakuya still looked like hot, ice-cold Byakuya, oxymoron and all.

"How did you do it?!" Nanao demanded.

Still smiling, Kazuko shrugged, "I distracted him with Swedish bubblegum dance."

Nanao blinked, "And that actually _worked_?"

"I have the picture, don't I?"

Rangiku smirked, holding out her hand to the other women, "Pay up."

"Yay, Kazuko!" Yachiru cheered happily, jumping onto Kazuko's back, "Now you can join us and play all the time! We'll make you an official camera-lady for the calendar!"

In a small corner in the back of Kazuko's mind, a small part of her felt content.

She finally fit in.

* * *

And, yet, even deeper than that, there was another, though this one not entirely of Kazuko.

This one… was almost an entity on its own.

"**Stupid bitch. As soon as they find out what you really are, do you really think they'll stay by your side? Feh! As if.**"

The almost-entity slithered around, curling closer around itself.

"**When all is said and done, you're still a fucking murderer, Kazuko. You have no right to happiness… Just like they didn't… Just like **_**I**_** don't. Have at it; have your fucking carefree moments and feel fucking wanted, but in due time you'll lose it all. Just like you deserve.**"

The entity curled into the smallest form it could, falling asleep.


	15. Distortion

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Amalia) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

(Distortion)

Kazuko smiled widely, holding up her camera, "Smile and say 'cheese', Captain Jushiro!"

"Cheese!"

There was a snap, a flash of light, and a whirr, signaling that the film had all been used.

"Thanks, Captain Jushiro!" Kazuko bowed to the captain, "I'm sure we'll have a great calendar made up soon!"

Jushiro nodded and smiled, standing from the pose Kazuko had asked him to sit in (in a chair next to the window, acting like someone had snuck up on him with a camera while he had been thinking) and returned to his desk, "I'm sure that the Association's decision to do a monthly calendar has kept you quite busy."

"Oh, it has!" Kazuko nodded, "Trying to get up to thirty one male shinigami that are on the 'acceptable' list is actually extremely difficult."

"The… 'acceptable' list?" Jushiro blinked.

"Yeah. It's a list the senior members came up with which details who is and who isn't photogenic." She explained, holding up one finger and raising her eyes towards the ceiling, as if reciting from a text. (As a side note, it had taken Rangiku many sake filled hours to get Kazuko to completely memorize and understand the list) "Lieutenant Matsumoto spent a lot of time teaching me this… She also taught me what to do in the case of someone refusing to have their picture taken."

"Hehe," Jushiro laughed nervously, "Really?"

Kazuko nodded, then took a step back towards the door, "Well, I have to go now, Captain. Thank you for your—"

"Wait!" Jushiro jumped to his feet, smiling widely as he walked towards her while reaching inside of his sleeve. "I have something for you!"

"You really don't have to—"

"Oh, I insist!"

And so, Kazuko could do nothing as Jushiro began to fill her arms with random items he began pulling out of his sleeves.

"C-captain Ukitake! How did you manage to fit a bonsai tree in there?! And… a giant lollypop? …Is that a board game?!"

"There you go!" Jushiro turned Kazuko around and ushered her to the door, "Feel free to come back any time! I'll make sure to have more candy!"

"Bu-bu-bu-bu-but… Captain!" Kazuko turned around, balking when the door was shut. She stared at the wide assortment of random items in her arms, then shrugged and turned, "Oh, well. I'll just give them to Captain Kyoraku when I see him!"

* * *

"So, I actually made it onto the Association's 'acceptable' list this month, huh?" Shunsui smirked, downing a cup of sake, "Who'd a thought?"

"Can I take your picture, Captain Kyoraku?" Kazuko smiled, holding out all of the things Jushiro had given her, "I come bearing gifts!"

"Let's see what ya got there…" He took the items and dug through them, pulling out a large jug of sake a moment later. "Alright, you got yourself a deal." He then began to serve himself.

Kazuko looked between the jug and the random items in confusion. 'Captain Jushiro… gave me sake? What possessed him to—'

"Care to join me?" Shunsui asked, a bit red-faced as he proffered the sake, "It's real good."

"Hehe, no thanks." Kazuko smiled nervously, "I'm underage. Now, about that picture…"

"Oh, right. Waddya need me to do?"

After directing the Captain outside to pose beneath a blossoming cherry tree, Kazuko began to set up a collapsible tripod, distracted as she began to attach the camera by a passing duo of loud-mouth shinigami.

"So, I heard that they're sending out Eikichi Saido after Rukia Kuchiki."

"Of the Secret Mobile Unit? Why?"

"Apparently, she's been on mission in the human world. Recently, though, her time limit expired. She's officially truant."

"Whoa, one of the great Kuchiki's?! Hah! That's a laugh!"

"I know, right?!"

They continued on and their voices faded, Kazuko blinking after them. 'What?'

"Heh, how unprofessional."

She turned to Shunsui, who looked somewhat disappointed.

"They don't call it the _Secret_ Mobile Unit for nothing, and we certainly aren't supposed to talk about classified information like that." He then looked at Kazuko and smiled sheepishly, "I don't suppose you could forget all that, could you?"

"Is Rukia okay?"

"Kazuko," Shunsui began, a slight warning tone slipping into his normally casual voice, "Don't ask anyone about it, especially not your captain. Just take my word when I say that we'll get her back, alright? Besides, if she were in serious trouble she would have contacted us by now."

"But—"

"Now, what do you say we get this picture taken, huh?"

"…Alright, Captain Kyoraku."

"'Captain Shunsui' is fine."

"Yes, sir."

* * *

'Rukia… is in trouble?' Kazuko placed a small bonsai, one of the only things she had kept from Jushiro, on the windowsill in her room.

_That's what it looks like…_

Sighing, the young shinigami walked over to her bed and dropped down onto it. 'So, what do we do?'

_Nothing, of course. They already have a shinigami on it._

'But… the shinigami they sent is going to apprehend her… and 'apprehend' isn't a friendly word.' She looked out the window, 'Rukia is in trouble, Haya.'

_I doubt there is much to worry about, Kazuko. After all, she is the sister of Byakuya and a member of the Kuchiki family; that'll more than likely help in her case._

Kazuko looked down at her hands, clasped in her lap. 'Haya… I…' "I want to go see for myself."

_Kazuko, that is out of the question. First off, you would never get permission. Second, if you snuck out, you'd be in the same situation she's in, if not worse. Third, we don't even know where she is! It would be illogical and stupid to go looking for her!_

"…She's my friend, Haya…"

_I know, Kazuko, and I like her, as well, but your best choice right now, unless you are sent out on official business concerning her, is to wait for her return and support her when she does get back._

"Hey, Kuruyaki!" Someone from outside her room, accompanying the call with a hard bang on the door, "Captain Kuchiki wants to see you!"

* * *

"Pardon, sir?"

Byakuya narrowed his eyes, "You have a mission, Kuruyaki." He said, markedly making his words slow, "You are to accompany Eikichi Saido of the Secret Mobile Unit to Karakura Town in order to track down Rukia Kuchiki."

Kazuko blinked, "If I may ask, Captain… why me?"

"Our records show that you are the most recent addition to the Seireitei to have lived in Karakura Town." Byakuya answered, "Thus, you are the person who is most familiar with the cities layout. You will act as a… backup guide, should Saido need it."

"That's why?"

"…" Byakuya blinked slowly, then began to rifle through the papers on his desk as he added, "I will also be expecting a full report on Rukia Kuchiki's doings when you return, as protocol dictates."

Kazuko stared at him, confused as to why he would need to unnecessarily state the obvious.

_He's worried about Rukia._ Hayajihime answered. _And he's using you to check up on her. Using you as a guide because you lived in Karakura is just a ruse; all shinigami are required to familiarize themselves with the layout of a city using maps provided in the Gotei library, so Saido is probably already familiar with the town. You are completely unnecessary for this mission._

'Except to Byakuya.' Kazuko thought, 'He needs me to tell him about his sister.'

_Of course, being Byakuya, he won't ask directly. In fact, if confronted, he'd probably get angry and just dismiss you completely, removing his request to send you. Best you just accept quietly._

"Alright, Captain Kuchiki." Kazuko bowed, "When do we go?"

"Saido is currently waiting for you at the Senkaimon Gate in the Second Division." Byakuya, answered, looking up at her again, "Captain Soifon with be there to give you a short debriefing before you set off. Now, go. Do not keep them waiting."

"Yes, Captain."

* * *

"Kazuko Kuruyaki, if I recall?"

Kazuko bowed, "Yes, Captain Soifon."

"Hm. This is Eikichi Saido." She pointed to the tall man with the oddly shaped chin standing by the Senkaimon, "You will be accompanying him to Earth to assist him, should he need any help. Do not get in his way and do not do anything to impede the mission. Is that clear?"

"Yes, Captain Soifon." Kazuko bowed again.

Soifon nodded, then spoke to both of them, "Your mission is to track down Rukia Kuchiki. Find out what you can and report back as soon as possible. As always, failure is not an option."

The Gate was activated and the two shinigami nodded to the Captain, the older man grabbing the girl by the arm and dragging her though.

Kazuko shut her eyes as she felt something sucking at her from all around, her hair whipping into her face and stinging her eyes. This wasn't how she remembered her last trip through a Senkaimon…

"What's going on?!" She screamed, gripping at Saido.

"What are you talking about?" She heard him ask back, but was unable to answer as a clawed hand grabbed her shoulder and dragged her down into darkness.

* * *

"**Hah! It's about goddamned time! As soon as we find that Orb, bitch, you and I are going to have quite the little 'union'."**

_Wh… wha?_

"**Shut the fuck up and get your ass moving. You're slowing Saido down, being unconscious. Just wake up and find that Orb!"**

_What… orb?_

"Kazuko, don't listen. Whatever you do, do not touch the Orb!"

"**Feh, yeah, right, zanpakuto. Just sit back and watch the show, because when it gets right down to it, you and I both know it's going to happen. You, her and I… soon enough, all three of us will be spending a good, long life together. Then, Kazuko, you'll pay for what you did to me."**

…_I… I'm sorry. I didn't mean for you to—_

"**Save it for some sappy bastard who cares, Kazuko, 'cuz I don't want to hear it. Now, wake the fuck up so we can get the show on the road."**

* * *

Kazuko opened her eyes, "Sorry…"

"You should be," She blinked and looked up at Saido, who was frowning down at her, "I mean, honestly, passing out while traveling through the Senkaimon… you act like it was your first time through! But I know you used to be part of the journeyman, so you should be used to it!"

"Sorry…" She muttered again, teetering a bit when Saido stopped to set her down, having carried her after she had blacked out on him.

"Well, we're here." Saido said lamely, looking at the forest around them, "Though I don't really know where 'here' is…"

"Somewhere at the edge of town." Kazuko said, looking around, "But these are deciduous trees, not the coniferous ones that surround the majority of the city…" She blinked, "We're near the cemetery."

"Are we?…" Saido asked distractedly, clearly not expecting an answer as he walked off, leaving Kazuko to run to catch up to him.

"H-hey! Do you feel that Hollow?" She asked after a moment.

"I do." Saido nodded, "But we'll worry about it after we find Rukia Kuchiki. Besides, we—"

"—ard you mention… that someone killed her."

Saido stopped and held out a hand to catch Kazuko by the mouth, using the other to brace himself against a tree.

Kazuko recognized the voice at once; Rukia. She recognized the next voice, too.

"I didn't say that."

'Ichigo…' Kazuko blinked.

"But you never said _who_ killed her." Rukia went on, as if she hadn't heard him.

"Listen," Ichigo sighed dejectedly, "Just drop it, okay?"

"…When I fist met you," Rukia began after a moment, "You said you had been able to see spirits since you were very young. …Ichigo, I need you to answer one more question. Your mother… could she have been killed by… a Hollow?"

Even from where she was, Kazuko could feel the tension mount dramatically in a matter of seconds. She could only imagine the look on Ichigo's face…

Beside her, Saido moved forward slightly, excited.

"Do you think that it's possible?" Rukia went on, oblivious to the heavy feeling in the air, "If your spiritual capabilities were that high as a child, then there may have been a Hollow who sensed you."

'Rukia… shut up!' Kazuko could feel Ichigo's inner turmoil mounting the more the shinigami spoke.

But Rukia just didn't know when to stop. "And when it came after you, it could have gotten your mother my mista—"

"Stop it!" Ichigo shouted, "Just shut up!"

Kazuko jerked away from Saido and covered her ears, not wanting to hear any more. A moment later she felt Saido's presence leave her side and looked up, uncovering her ears slightly. When she heard nothing but birds, she stepped out from behind the tree and looked at the path, finding it empty.

"That boy Rukia was talking to," Saido began after a moment, "Who was he?"

"Ichigo Kurosaki." Kazuko answered, "A fifteen year old boy with heightened spiritual powers." When Saido said nothing, Kazuko blinked at his back, "Now that we've found her, aren't we going to approach her?"

"No," Saido shook his head, "Not yet. I want to see a bit more of what's going on here." He lifted his hand and waved at her, "Come on. Let's go."

They walked down the path a ways, presumably going in the direction Rukia had traveled. Kazuko was about to ask how far away Rukia was when Saido stopped.

"She's near." For a moment, he did nothing. Then, he moved over to a tree and sat.

Kazuko stared at him, "Uh… Mr. Saido?"

He glanced at her, then waved to the spot beside him, "Have a seat. We'll give her a moment to her thoughts." While she sat, Saido pulled his hat down over his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Taking a nap, Mr. Saido?"

Saido grunted, "Females take too long to think for me to just sit here and do nothing. I may as well do something productive with my time."

"Oh…" Kazuko looked down at her lap, clasping her hands.

Saido opened one eye and glanced at her, then sighed and pulled a deck of cards out of his sleeve. "Here. Entertain yourself with this."

Smiling, she took the cards and began to lay out a game of solitaire.

She had barely gotten the four aces out when Rukia walked up.

"Yaaaaaahhh." Saido yawned, stretching his arms over his head, "That was a nice little nap."

Kazuko looked at Saido in confusion, blinking, "Mr. Saido… it's barely been four minutes. It takes a person, on average, anywhere from ten to twenty minutes to fall asleep. …Maybe you have a sleeping disorder?"

"Kuruyaki, shut up."

"Kazuko?"

Said shinigami jumped to her feet, facing Rukia and smiling widely, "Hey, Rukia!"

Rukia gapped, "Ka… Kazuko!"

Still smiling, Kazuko skipped over to Rukia and pulled her into a hug. "Hey, I'm back!"

"**Finally!"**

_Kazuko, no!_

Kazuko felt a pulse ripple through her body as Rukia fell slightly limp in her arms, the two leaning against each other for support. The edges of her vision grew fuzzy and grey, and then the grey began to work its way inward, turning from grey to black. All noises around her faded into static, and then… nothing.

* * *

"**Finally…**

"**Freedom.**

"**Hehe… get ready, Kazuko, because the real fun is about to begin.**

"**You and I… we're going to be having a lot more fun.**

"**Get ready for a real taste of angst.**

"**A blast from your past.**

"**I refuse to let you forget what you did to them…**

"**And what you did to me.**

"**Everyone you care about… you will lose.**

"**Everyone who you get to know… will not be left in the dark.**

"**Your sins will be known.**

"**You will never have a peaceful day again…**

"**You are mine."**

_No… please… Hayajihime, help…_

"Kazuko… until you accept your past, there's little else I can do beyond help you fight back. I'm sorry.

"…And as for **you**… If you dare hurt her, I will be there to stop you."

"**Ha! You and I both know that's only if she grows the balls to fight back! And, until she does fight back, this is **_**my**_** body to take whenever I please."**

"Oh… Kazuko…"

…_I'm sorry._


	16. Hints

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Amalia) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

(Hints)

When Kazuko next opened her eyes, the sky was grey, and blood was being spilt.

Her eyes widened, "Mr. Saido!"

The Hollow that had been attacking Eikichi turned to her, "Ah, so the daydreaming shinigami finally decided to wake up."

Kazuko began shaking, eyes staring at the thick green tendrils that were impaling her partner.

"Mr.… Saido…"

Something flashed beside Kazuko and a large blade shone, slicing through the Hollow's tendrils and freeing Eikichi.

"Get back, Amalia."

"I…ichigo…"

"Why?" Ichigo demanded, turning to look at Eikichi, "Tell me."

Eikichi, leaning against his sword and panting, smirked.

"You sacrificed yourself." Ichigo went on.

"I'm a shinigami, kid." Eikichi said, "Kazuko and I both are. And we fight Hollows. We kill them without mercy, no matter what." He then coughed up blood.

Kazuko gasped and leapt to his side, then, seeing something out of her peripheral vision, looked behind him, blinking when she saw Ichigo's younger sister, Karin, behind him.

'The Hollow must have attacked her… and Mr. Saido saved her.'

"When a Hollow attacks at random," Eikichi went on, "And… kills someone… ugh…" He sank to his knees, Kazuko following a second later and grabbing his shoulders to support him. "That persons loved ones are the real victims. They're left with nothing but an emptiness, and as a shinigami I couldn't let that happen. We must always protect the innocent." He looked up at Ichigo and smirked, "Do ya understand, Spike Head?"

Kazuko gasped and faltered as Eikichi groaned and fell forward, collapsing on the ground.

"Hey, get up!" Ichigo shouted

Eikichi didn't respond.

"Mr. Saido?" Kazuko murmured, shaking his shoulder gently. Still, he didn't respond.

"Hey, did you hear me?!" Ichigo demanded, "I said get up!"

Panicking, Kazuko grabbed both of Eikichi's shoulders and shook him, harder, "Mr. Saido?! Mr. Saido! Get up!" She vaguely heard the clicking of footsteps behind her as she shook him again, "Eikichi!"

"Kazuko…" Rukia muttered, placing a hand on her shoulder as she bent to get a closer look at the man.

"He… he can't die, can he?" Ichigo asked as Rukia examined him. "He's a shinigami!"

"Ichigo, even shinigami aren't immortal." Rukia said, "If the injuries are severe enough…" She trailed off, blinking when his remaining breath became shaky, vibrating.

When the 'last breath' continued to vibrate, though, Kazuko stopped panicking and blinked, "Is… he…"

Eikichi's mouth opened and he let out a snort… Or, rather, a _snore_.

"Wait a minute," Ichigo began, "He's only sleeping!"

Kazuko twitched and fell over, "Eep!"

"Tell him to get up!" Ichigo yelled at the two female shinigami, "Or _I'll_ kill him!"

Just then, another Ichigo ran up, and even though he was speaking Kazuko couldn't hear a word he was saying. She was too… stunned.

"Why are there two Ichigos?"

"Kazuko!" She flinched and looked up at Rukia, who was staring down at her stone-facedly, "We need the help of another shinigami, Kazuko."

Kazuko nodded, jumping to her feet, "I'll do what I can."

Rukia nodded, then glanced at Ichigo, "We'll go and you back us up."

As if he hadn't heard her, Ichigo leapt forward and landed before the Hollow, "No, you two back me up."

"What did you say?!" Rukia demanded, clearly not used to having her orders questioned.

"I have to do this for my mother." Ichigo explained, grabbing his zanpakuto with both hands, "Stay out of this."

Rukia, though, wasn't having it. "Have you lost your mind?! This Hollow has been getting the best of shinigami for fifty years! He's way to strong for you—"

"That's enough!" Ichigo interrupted, "Now, please, don't interfere or try to help me. This fight is all mine." He then charged at the Hollow.

Kazuko watched the fight silently.

"Kazuko."

She blinked, looking at Rukia, "Yeah?"

Rukia frowned, "Are you… alright?"

Kazuko tilted her head, "Huh?"

"After you hugged me," Rukia began to explain, "You blanked out. You were still walking, but you didn't respond. And that feeling when we came into contact…" Rukia frowned, "Do you remember?"

"Yeah…" Kazuko thought for a moment, then asked, "Do you happen to have some kind of orb on you?"

"No… Why?"

"No reason." Without answering any of Rukia's questions, Kazuko turned back to the fight, frowning and thinking about the fight Hayajihime and the other girl in her head had gotten into.

'They both mentioned an orb, but… Rukia said she doesn't have it. And I haven't heard from either of them since.'

Usually, even when Hayajihime wasn't talking, Kazuko could at least feel her consciousness. She could even feel the presence of the other, darker female. But neither of them was there now. It was all quiet.

'So… they both must be unconscious… or something like that. …If they're unconscious, does that mean I'm two thirds unconscious? …Does this constitute as sleepwalking? Or even sleeping on the job?' She panicked, 'I hope Captain Kuchiki doesn't find out. I'll get in trouble if I'm two thirds sleeping.'

"Kazuko, come on!" Kazuko shook her head, turning to Rukia, "We have to go after Ichigo!"

Kazuko nodded and followed Rukia, still thinking.

'That other female… the one who's tormenting me… who is she? Her voice is so familiar, and she knows about the incident… Could it really be her? Is she back to haunt me?…'

"Ichigo!"

Kazuko blinked and snapped out of her thoughts, paling when she saw Ichigo injured. 'I need to pay attention!' She was about to run forward with Rukia when they both were stopped.

"Stay back!" Ichigo shouted, furious, "I'll do this my way! Whatever it takes, no matter what it costs, even if I die I'm going to finish this!"

"Then die you will, because you allow your passion and your rage to distract you from your purpose." The Hollow stated, "And that distraction dulls your sword. You flail wildly, but your physical skills alone are not enough to defeat me. And now, I shall show you why your mind is not strong enough to fight me, either!"

The lure on its head swung forward and the Hollow grabbed the top.

"Behold!"

When the creatures had fell away, it revealed the face of a woman with wavy brown hair and kind eyes.

When Ichigo swore, Kazuko could only guess that the woman was Ichigo's mother. This was confirmed a second later by Rukia.

"Is that… your mother?"

"Bastard." Ichigo spat.

"Even the most coldblooded shinigami has one person he can never kill," The Hollow said, "That is a fact which you cannot deny. By learning who that person is, I have evaded every shinigami that has come before you for over fifty years! And I have learned that, for you, this is that one person."

The woman on the end of the lure looked up, smiling, "Do you remember me, Ichigo?"

Kazuko shuddered, "That's… sick." She moved to step forward, but was stopped when a thin, pale arm was thrust before her. She looked at the owner of the arm, "Rukia?"

"We… cannot help him." Rukia said dejectedly, looking at the ground, "This is a battle for Ichigo and Ichigo alone." She paused, then looked at Kazuko, "Listen, go check on Saido."

There was more to this request that what met the eye, and even Kazuko saw it. This matter was private, and for Ichigo it was best if as few were present as possible. And, though she knew she would probably get in trouble for it later, Kazuko decided to give Ichigo his space.

After a brief pause, Kazuko turned and ran back to the steps, taking them two at a time and trying not to think about the battle going on behind her.

By the time she got back to the shinigami, he was already stirring.

"Uh, fell asleep again." He muttered, standing. When Kazuko reached out to help him steady himself, he looked at her and frowned, "Why aren't you with them?" When she lowered her eyes, he sighed and shook his head, "I think I understand… you and that boy were friends, right? You're respecting his space."

"Sorry." Kazuko muttered.

"Never mind that now." Eikichi shook his head, "Let's go." He then started running to where the battle was.

At the top of the steps, Kazuko froze and instantly regretted leaving Ichigo.

He had been impaled through the shoulder by a spear formed from the Hollow's fur. The Hollow was moving in for the kill when something… happened.

The replica of Ichigo's mother began to emit a lightning-like energy.

"What is that?" Rukia asked.

Kazuko looked up at Eikichi, expecting an answer, but the man was just smirking and chuckling. "Mr. Saido?"

"That woman we're seeing isn't actually his mother, but she's transmitting her thoughts to him." He said.

"That can only mean," Rukia concluded, "That the lure recorded her thoughts at the very moment she was killed."

Ichigo stared at the replica of his mother, "Her dying thoughts… were recorded?"

"I thought this might happen," Eikichi went on, "There was a flash of it earlier, when I was fighting it. Now this battle could go either way."

The woman-replica smiled, "Ichigo, my son. I'm very proud of you. You and your father and Karin and Yuzu, I am so lucky to have had those years with all of you. And I know that, because of the love that all of you share, you will always keep the family together and strong, even without me. Ichigo, live on, my son. Live with strength and kindness, and never lose that smile; the smile that you always wore when you looked at me." Her smile widened, "Ichigo, thank you for loving me." The lure dispersed.

"Mother…" Ichigo murmured. He said a few words to the Hollow that Kazuko could not hear over the rain, then thrust his sword forward and pierced the creature's shoulder and sliced it wide open.

"Curse you, shinigami!" The Hollow screamed, turning and leaping into the sky, "You'll pay for this someday!"

Kazuko stood by Eikichi and watched the rest of the scene unfold, not worried in the least when Ichigo collapsed. 'He just needs rest…'

"Your friend is something else." Eikichi observed after Rukia had laid Ichigo down on the ground, his head in her lap. "As you know, the power a shinigami possesses is determined by his life-force." Eikichi smirked, "Heh. This kid's potential is a little frightening." He paused, then stood, "Well, time for Kazuko and I to head home. After all, if two's company and three's a crowd, four is just plain overkill." He put on his hat, "It looks like our little Rukia has grown into a woman, and-"

"Give it a rest, will ya?" Rukia scowled.

"Okay, have it your way. But you know the Soul Society's going to find out eventually." He beckoned to Kazuko, "Bye, Rukia. Good luck. Say 'goodbye' to the kid for me."

Kazuko smiled, walking backwards and waving, "Later, Rukia! I'll see if I can get leave and visit sometime!"

"Kazuko, you never answered me!" Rukia looked worried, "What was that?"

Kazuko's smile faltered for a moment, then returned, "I really don't know… But don't worry about it, I'm fine! And it looks like you are, too!"

"Kuruyaki, hurry up!"

"Coming, Mr. Saido!" Kazuko turned and ran after him, throwing one last "Bye, Rukia!" over her shoulder.

When they were back in the forest, Saido summoned the Senkaimon, turning to Kazuko as it opened. "Hey, earlier, when you zoned, out, there was an odd energy coming from you…"

"I know." Kazuko looked at the ground, "And I already told Rukia that—"

"No, kid, you don't know." He turned serious, "The energy coming from you was distinctly Hollow." He took her moment of silence and shock as an opportunity to go on, "It reached out and slipped into Rukia's gigai." He frowned, "It was extremely violent and aggressive, but also deliberate in its movements. It wanted something from Rukia." He paused, "Do you know anything about this?"

"…**find that Orb!"**

"…_don't touch the Orb!"_

"Rukia… do you happen to have an orb on you?"

"No…Why?"

"…**Freedom."**

"No." Kazuko shook her head, "Nothing at all. I don't even really remember what happened…"

Eikichi stared at her for a moment, then sighed and shook his head, "Listen, put whatever you want in your report about this mission, because I'll be leaving it pretty vague, too. I mean, it's not like they won't eventually send someone higher up to look into this matter at a later date." He turned towards the Senkaimon, "Oh, and one more thing. If whatever it is flares up in you again, run before the other shinigami find out, because that kind of energy is the kind they'll kill if they discover it." He then walked through the sliding double doors.

Kazuko stared after him, then followed. This time, walking through the Senkaimon gave her no problems.

* * *

"She's currently in a gigai, for whatever reason." Kazuko said as she stood before Byakuya, "When I left, she had just finished helping fighting a Hollow called 'Grand Fisher' or something. It got away, but not before it was wounded."

Byakuya nodded, "I see… And this boy." He looked up, "What about him?"

Kazuko froze before saying, "He's… nothing important. He was at the cemetery that day to visit his mother's grave, so he and his sisters were just victims of circumstance."

Byakuya nodded again, then dismissed her, "I don't want to see any paperwork on this, Kuruyaki. What you said was enough."

'He already suspects something.' Kazuko thought as she walked out of the office.

* * *

_There was an intense pain… just before I died. It was right in my chest… but then it was gone and I was waking up in the Seireitei._

_I think… that was about the time the other woman was born… the one Hayajihime keeps fighting with._

"You were lucky, you know. You died before the final Chain of Fate was completely eroded. Unfortunately… it had eroded enough for her to become conscious."

…_Why was my Chain of Fate so short to begin with? It was nearly finished eroding almost as soon as I died…_

"Don't you remember? The incident… You were lucky that day… Lucky and unlucky. You had been used as an experiment… and you succeeded. But at a price."

_And she is the price I have to pay for that?_

"Yes. And her manifestation… that one is another part of the price."

…_She resembles her so much. Whenever she talks to me, it's hard to tell the difference._

"…You know, the way that she talks to you probably is how her original self really felt about you at the moment of death."

…_I know._

"Do you regret the deal you made?"

_Every moment ever since… there wasn't one that wasn't filled with regret._


	17. Death Sentence

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Amalia) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

(Death Sentence)

Two months… Rukia had been in the Human World two months before they finally sent someone to bring her back. Unfortunately… the two they sent were Byakuya Kuchiki and Renji Abarai.

As soon as Rukia was brought back, she had been placed under arrest and promptly detained, charged for passing on her shinigami powers to a human and assisting him in eliminating Hollows. No matter the circumstances in which Rukia had come to do this, one thing remained; she had done it, and she was to be punished.

_Things certainly aren't looking up for Rukia, are they?_ Hayajihime asked as Kazuko walked to Rukia's holding cell.

'You know, I think I kinda liked things better when you didn't talk all the time.' Shortly after Eikichi and Kazuko returned from their mission, Hayajihime had regained consciousness. The other woman had, as well, but… she hadn't made contact.

_Hey, wake up. We're here._

Kazuko looked up, blinking. She was standing before the Sixth Division holding cells. Normally, the door would have required one to access it with a key, but… oddly enough, someone had left it open.

'This is the second time I've gotten into an off-limits Seireitei area because someone forgot to shut the door.' She thought dryly as she walked into the holding area, blinking at the sight before her.

"Uh… Lieutenant Abarai? What are you wearing?"

Renji, who had been talking (or rather yelling) at someone in the cell in front of him, turned and blinked, "Kuruyaki? How did you get in here?"

"I think you left the door open." She smiled, "Don't worry; I shut it. But…" She looked at the ground, "Can I see Rukia?"

"I'm right here, Kaz." The voice came from inside the cell Renji had been yelling at.

"Rukia!" Kazuko smiled, running up to the bars and looking inside, "There you are! I came as soon as I heard you were back, although," She scratched the back of her head and laughed nervously, "I was hoping you wouldn't be detained like this…"

"It's probably going to be a lot worse soon." Rukia sighed.

Kazuko blinked, "Whaddya mean, Rukia? I know the Gotei must be pretty mad at you, but I'll bet Captain Kuchiki and Captain Jushiro are gonna be trying to get you out soon."

Rukia sighed again, "I'd rather not explain it again, Kazuko, but… Byakuya won't be trying to get me out."

The room was silent for a moment, then Kazuko quietly observed, "I see… You think that Captain Kuchiki… would rather…" She trailed off.

"You know, Captain Ukitake always said that you were far more observant and far less stupid than you sometimes make yourself out to be." Rukia commented dryly.

Kazuko smiled, "Well, he could be right… or he could be wrong. Really, it's a fifty-fifty shot."

Rukia laughed, then went silent.

"I gotta go." Renji said after a moment, "Kazuko, take this," He handed her a small, key-like slip of silver metal, "If anyone finds you here, tell them I gave it to you. See if you can't get her to eat." He then walked out.

When he was gone, Kazuko turned back to Rukia's back and frowned, "You aren't eating? You know, I heard that's not healthy."

Rukia shook her head and glanced over her shoulder, "Kazuko, why do you put up this front of stupidity?"

"…All of you would be disgusted… if you knew the real me." Kazuko paused, then smiled widely, "Besides, I've been like this for so long that it's superimposed itself on the old me. I highly doubt I'd be able to act like the old me if I tried."

They both fell silent as the door opened and a meek, slouching boy with lanky black hair walked in, holding a broom.

"G-good evening, Miss Rukia." He stuttered.

Rukia smiled, "Hanataro, could you bring a chair for Kazuko? I have a feeling she won't be leaving for a while."

* * *

Kazuko ended up falling asleep in her chair, trying in vain to get Rukia to eat the food that Hanataro served her. The next morning, Renji returned in uniform (rather than the white and pink-petal-decorated kimono he had been wearing the day before that had quite amused Kazuko), and ended up in another fight with Rukia.

Kazuko was just trying to calm them down, but at that moment, the door opened and a familiar, imposing aura surrounded the three; a chill and the smell of cherry blossoms.

He said something that, at first, Kazuko couldn't understand. Apparently, neither could Renji.

"What?" He asked, eyes wide, "What did you just say, Captain Kuchiki? What do you mean?!"

"It is as I said," Byakuya replied, stoic as ever, "Do I need to repeat myself? Twenty-five days from now she'll go to the Central execution grounds, where she will suffer the ultimate punishment. That is the final decision of the Soul Society." He paused, letting the words sink in and placing a folded piece of parchment into his robes, "And this is the last time you and I shall ever exchange words." He turned, walking back to the door, "Rukia, the next time that I see you will be at your execution." The door shut behind him with an overwhelming sense of finality.

The three people in the room stared after him; two reacting with unparalleled shock and one with sad, quiet acceptance. Only one was vocal.

"This… cannot be allowed to happen."

Renji and Rukia looked at Kazuko, whose head was lowered and whose body was shaking with raw emotion.

"They can't do this." Kazuko muttered, "They can't be allowed to."

"Th-they're the Gotei, Kazuko." Renji muttered, unconvincing, "They have ultimate authority over our lives."

"No one," Kazuko hissed, turning and glaring at the lieutenant, "Has the right to lay claim over my life but me. No one. You can have my body and my skills, but you can't have me. They cannot be allowed to do this!"

"And what are you suggesting?!" Renji yelled back.

"I will not lose another friend, Renji!"

Renji scowled but said nothing, both he and Rukia staring at her.

Kazuko, shaking worse than before, glared at him pointedly and said, "I gave in once, Renji. One time and I lost my best friends. That was enough for me. I won't let it happen again." She clenched her hands tightly at her side, and blearily felt the dark energy rising up.

"**So, you never answered Renji's question; what are you suggesting?"**

"Shut up." She hissed, turning towards the door and stalking to it.

"Kazuko, I'm giving you two weeks leave." Renji shouted after her, "I suggest you get some 'you' time and avoid Captain Kuchiki and all other higher-ups."

* * *

On the other side of the door, Byakuya had stopped a ways down the hall upon hearing Kazuko's outburst.

He stood stationary for a moment, then bristled when her reiatsu had spiked. Only… there was something different. Her reiatsu wasn't the only energy he felt flare.

Byakuya glanced over his shoulder, his eyes widening slightly before they narrowed.

"Kuru…yaki?"

* * *

Two weeks.

Renji had given Kazuko two weeks leave.

In the Seireitei, two weeks leave meant several things for the shinigami onto which the leave had been granted.

First, it meant that she had no work to do.

For Kazuko, who had no other life beyond work, that meant one thing: She had absolutely nothing to do.

Another thing it meant was she wasn't allowed back into the main building of the Sixth Division.

For Kazuko, who rarely went anywhere by herself, that meant one thing: She technically had nowhere to go.

A third thing it meant was she wasn't allowed to see Rukia.

For Kazuko, this meant several things, but one thing in particular: She had no clue as to the current state of her friend.

And so, with nothing to do, nowhere to go, and no clue as to the true status of her friend beyond rumors, Kazuko did only one thing for two whole weeks: Pace her room and think about Rukia's situation.

And, the sudden return and unexpected vocalization of the dark woman wasn't helping her situation in the least.

"**You know, there's really only one thing you can do if you want to save your friend. Grow some balls and go bust her out."**

"I'd rather think of a less violent method for this, thank you." Kazuko muttered.

"**Oh, please. When's the last time any of that diplomatic shit actually worked in a militaristic setting, I ask you?"**

_Kazuko, don't be blinded by this fools bigoted and violence-fueled ideas. I'm sure that if you just appeal—_

"Both of you shut up." Kazuko growled, "I need to think."

"**You've been thinking for two fucking weeks, dipshit, and have you thought of a single thing? No. No, you haven't."**

"I said shut up." She paced a bit longer, then looked up and blinked, "When do I go back to duty?"

…_Two days, I think._

"**No, actually I think her time was up today…"**

_Maybe you should go ask someone?_

"**I suggest that Renji prick. He's the one who put you on this stupid leave of absence, anyway."**

"…" Kazuko stopped pacing, "Why is it you two are only helpful when it comes to small, menial things?"

…

**"…"**

"I mean, seriously, the only time you two actually stop fighting and work together to help me is, like… when I need help for the simplest things. Like when I forgot how long you're supposed to leave a frozen burrito in the microwave. Or when I couldn't figure out how to fix the sink in the bathroom. Why are you two only useful then? After all, all three of us inhabit this body. If I die, you die, so you'd think you'd be a bit more helpful and not fight all the time."

"…**Kazuko."**

"Yeah?"

"**What you're implying… is just stupid."**

"…I really don't see how—"

_She's right Kazuko. After all, how can you expect me to work with __her__ on a regular basis? Huh? You just can't._

"Hey, look, all I'm saying is—"

"**Shut it, you stupid whore! There is no way, no fucking way, I'd _ever_ work with that bitch, alright? Hell, the only reason I help you, twat, if you can even call it helping, is so I can make you miserable at a later time, so shut the fuck up and get back to sulking!"**

Kazuko stood where she was for a moment, trying to get over the weirdness of the argument she had just had with the two sentient minds within her own head, then shook her head and walked to the door, "I'm going to find Renji."

Of course, finding Renji Abarai in the Sixth Division building wasn't exactly a hard task. Kazuko figure that if there weren't swooning females nearby, then neither was he (then again, the same could pretty much apply to Byakuya, though females generally tended to wait until he was out of the room before swooning).

As Kazuko walked the halls towards the part of the building were the Captain's and Lieutenant's offices were, none of the females she ran into were swooning. Thus, she concluded that Renji was either a) out of the building; or b) in his office.

She was glad it was the latter, otherwise she would have hit a dead end, what with not having any idea not only how to navigate the Seireitei on her own properly, but also had no idea as to where she would have looked for the lieutenant.

"Lieutenant Abarai?"

When someone inside the office grunted, she opened the door and slipped in, stopping in front of the piles of paper that simply absorbed and ruled a majority of Renji's would be desk. Renji was sitting on the other side of said desk, apparently trying to organize the chaos before him.

"Lieutenant Abarai?" Renji didn't respond. "Lieutenant Abarai?" Still nothing. Kazuko blinked, frowned, opened her mouth, closed her mouth, then sighed and decided to try a new tactic.

"Lieutenant Abarai, Lieutenant Abarai, Lieutenant Abarai, Lieutenant Abarai, Lieutenant Abarai, Lieutenant Abarai, Abarai, Abarai, Abarai, Abarai, Lieutenant Renji, Lieutenant Renji, Lieutenant Renji, Renji, Renji, Renji, Renji, Monkey-Man, Monkey-Man… Lieutenaaaaaaaannnnnnnnt—"

"WHAAAT!?" Renji screamed, jumping to his feet and raking his hands through his hair.

Kazuko was so stunned by his sudden response that the only think that came to her mind and out of her mouth was, "Hi."

Renji stared at her for a moment, then started twitching.

Panicking, Kazuko covered her head with her hands and screeched, "Eep! I was just wondering when my leave of absence was up!"

Still twitching slightly, Renji sighed and picked up a rifled through his papers, pulling out a single piece of paper with a small bit of writing in one corner. As he read it, Kazuko was struck by the wastefulness of the situation as he crumpled the paper, threw it away, and replied, "Today, actually."

"Have you ever thought of using Post-it notes?" She looked at the massive amounts of papers and the lack of folders, "And some filing cabinets?"

Renji blinked slowly, "What?"

Kazuko sighed, "When's the last time the Soul Society was updated on office supplies?"

"I dunno." Renji shrugged, "About two hundred years ago, I think."

She stared at him, then shook her head slowly, "So many things have changed since then…" She then struck a pose and held out a fist, "To the nearest office supply store!"

* * *

"I cannot, for the life of me, figure out why the Seireitei hasn't gotten any of these things!" Renji exclaimed as he walked back through the Senkaimon, pushing a large handcart with two filing cabinets on it. "How many folders can you fit in this?"

Kazuko, pushing a shopping cart she had 'borrowed' from the store, shrugged, "I don't know. It really depends on how many papers you put in each folder."

"And these things," Renji pulled out a pack of Post-it notes, "You can stick them _anywhere_? And they aren't permanent?"

"Yeah, pretty much." Kazuko nodded as they walked back into Renji's office and began to organize all of the supplies, "And they aren't permanent in the least. But, if you touch the sticky part too many times, it won't stick to anything."

"And what's this for, again?" Renji pulled a Newton's cradle out of the basket.

Kazuko blinked, "Ambiance."

Once all of the items had either been set up or put aside for later organization, they both took a moment to analyze the state of Renji's desk.

"Fuck," Renji sighed, "And I have a meeting to go to in…" He glanced at the clock, "Twenty minutes."

Kazuko stared at him for a moment, "Reassign any missions I might get for the next week or so and I'll do it for you."

"Deal."

* * *

Later, while Kazuko was organizing Renji's papers, she came across an order to have Rukia moved from the Sixth Division holding cell to the Repentance Cell within two weeks time.

She sighed, "Rukia."


	18. Ryoka Invasion: Betrayal or Not?

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Amalia) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

(Ryoka Invasion: Betrayal or Not?)

Had Kazuko known how modernizing Renji's would have ended, not only would she have thought twice about doing it, she also would have refused to do it and she would have built a space-time machine in order to go to an alternate universe and kill an alternate-Kazuko for thinking up the stupid idea to begin with, and this is why:

She had just finished organizing Renji's office, which had taken the better part of four hours, and was about to go to her room and collapse in order to recharge her officially sore eyeballs and paper cut hands and arms when Byakuya walked into the office.

He had been looking for Renji, but upon seeing the state of organization that had suddenly taken over his lieutenant's office he had been promptly distracted.

"Kuruyaki… what happened in here?"

Kazuko, too tired to deny anything, drowsily muttered, "I took Renji to buy some office supplies and organized everything."

"I have never seen these supplies before," Byakuya observed as he watched the metal balls of the Newton's cradle clack back and forth, "Where did you get them."

"I showed him a store in the human world." Kazuko muttered, almost falling asleep on her feet.

"I see." After a moment, Byakuya straightened and proclaimed, "You will return to your room and take three hours rest. In three hours and thirty minutes I shall expect you back at my office, where we will depart for the world of the living in order to get more of these 'office supplies'." That said, he turned on his heel and walked out.

Kazuko stared after him, then fell to her knees and burst into tears.

* * *

"Humans have the most intriguing ideas…" Byakuya muttered as he emerged from the Senkaimon, inspecting his new Magic 8-Ball.

Kazuko said nothing as she lugged the handcart through, toting two file cabinets with several boxes of supplies on top.

Byakuya turned to her as she lowered the handcart with a heavy thump, nodding to her, "You have the rest of the day off in order to properly organize these supplies as they are to be used. When you are done, leave a list of instructions on my desk that explains the functions and directions of how to use these items."

Kazuko was tempted to cry again, but when Byakuya sat at his desk she decided to hold it in for a later time.

Later on that day, Jushiro came in to talk to Byakuya about something and, as Byakuya had been, was promptly distracted by the new items in the room.

After Byakuya had explained the situation to him, Jushiro looked at Kazuko and smiled, "Well, I wouldn't mind if my office had a few of these items."

Kazuko smiled tightly, remembering that Renji had given her the week off, and (since there was no way she could deny Jushiro anything (the man was just too darn sweet)) she nodded, "Alright. I'll come by after I'm done here."

Jushiro nodded, "Thank you, Kazuko."

And thus the cycle was initiated: Both Shunsui and Tosen found out about the offices from Jushiro, and from them Aizen, Gin, and Retsu found out, and from Retsu, Kenpachi found out, and from Kenpachi, Sajin and Toshiro found out, and from the two of them Mayuri and Soifon found out. And, because every other captain knew about it, Yamamoto soon knew, as well.

Mayuri had already been in the practice of using file cabinets and was largely unimpressed (though, secretly, he did buy quite a hoard of Post-its and a spin-off of the Magic 8-Ball called the Affirmation ball), but the rest of the captains were intrigued, and thus were their lieutenants intrigued.

And the rest, as they say, was history.

Every captain and lieutenant soon had their own filing cabinets, Post-its, white out, glue sticks, stress balls, and every other imaginable office supply there was to be had. And, well… you can guess who had to help them all organize it.

"Oh, yes, isn't it splendid! Kazuko showed Byakuya, and I simply had to try it!"

"Actually, Kuruyaki was the one who introduced us to the idea."

"Not like I ever actually do my paperwork, but at least all of that shit's out of the way now."

"Oh, you need help with that? Ask for Kazuko Kuruyaki of Division Six! I heard she's doing it for all of the captains and lieutenants and asking for nothing in return!"

"Feh. Don't tell me those fools are just now discovering filing cabinets! …Nemu, keep your hands off my Post-its!"

Before she knew it, the week was over, and Kazuko was dragging her pathetic self back to the Sixth Division barracks and locking her door, where no one would here from her or see her for three more days.

Renji considered giving her a hard time about this, but when he learned about what she had had to put up with with the other lieutenants and captains, he let her have her peace. Byakuya either didn't notice or chose to leave her be.

Finally, three weeks and three days after Rukia had been returned to the Soul Society, Kazuko emerged from her room…

Only to be enveloped in utter chaos.

Every shinigami that she met in the hall was in some rush or another, and she couldn't figure out as to why.

'Why did I have to hide in my room for so long?' Sighing, she reached out and grabbed a passing shinigami, smiling down at the nervous young man. "What's going on?"

"R-r-ryoka!" The young shinigami stuttered, "They've broken into the Seireitie!" He then slipped out of her grasp and ran off.

Kazuko stared after him, blinking, "Intruders?" She was a bit surprised… and she wondered if they had reacted like this when she had broken into the Soul Society.

"Kuruyaki—"

"It wasn't me!" Kazuko screamed, jumping and holding her hands in the air.

The person who had spoken sighed, "Kazuko…" She turned, smiling nervously when she saw Renji looking down at her in annoyance. "Better, now?" He asked, quirking a brow.

"Yeah." She nodded, "What's up?"

Renji scowled, "I want you to go to Captain Zaraki."

Kazuko blinked, "Eh? Why?"

"Him doing something stupid right now would be a bad thing." Renji grumbled, crossing his arms, "And seeing as the only person he really listens to is Yachiru, and Yachiru likes you, you're one of the few people in the Soul Society who would have sway over him."

"Oh…" Kazuko smiled, "Okay! So, he should be at the Eleventh Division, right?"

"'Should be' is right." Renji rolled his eyes, "At this point, who knows where he's gone."

Kazuko nodded, still smiling, "You're probably right. Well, I'll be off, now!" She turned on her heel and ran down the hall, exiting the building as soon as she could.

Leaping to the top of the maze-like walls that made up a majority of the Seireitei's walkways, Kazuko looked around.

"Let's see… where is his spiritual pressure?"

Of course, once she had found its general location, it was kinda hard to miss. For people weaker than him (which was pretty much everyone) and who weren't used to his reiatsu (which was a majority of the Seireitei), sensing Kenpachi Zaraki could be somewhat like being assailed by a million uber bouncy dodge balls… that were covered in spikes.

Wincing when she locked onto Kenpachi's energy, Kazuko grabbed her zanpakuto with one hand and started off, leaping from roof to roof. She had almost made it when something made her stop.

"…Ichigo?" She turned, blinking. 'Was that Ichigo's reiatsu just now? …Is he here in the Soul Society? Why— !! He's going to save Rukia, isn't he?!' She stopped, 'This is my chance! I can help Ichigo save Rukia!'

…_You know you'll probably get stripped of your title and powers if you do._

'If I can save Rukia, it'll be worth it.' Kazuko thought as she turned towards Ichigo's reiatsu, 'Now where…' Then, she was stopped again, but this time by something in front of her.

A small, black-furred form looked up at Kazuko, golden eyes wide.

Kazuko looked down at the small, black-furred form, green eyes wide.

Gold eyes blinked slowly.

Green eyes blinked slowly.

"Meow…"

"…Hi." Kazuko stared at the cat for a moment, then asked, "You wouldn't happen to be with Ichigo, would you?"

The cat stared at her, one brow quirking.

Kazuko sighed irritably, "Yes, I am aware of the fact that most people do not talk to cats, but I believe you'll find that I am not most people. Now are you with Ichigo or not?"

The cat blinked again, then nodded slowly.

Kazuko nodded, "And he's here to save Rukia, right?"

Again, the cat nodded.

"What can I do to help?"

The cat just stared at her.

Kazuko scowled, "Look, Rukia is my friend, too, alright, and I don't want to see her die. I was trying to think of a way to get her out, myself, but if Ichigo already has one then I'll just join his bandwagon and do what I can."

The cat stared at her for a moment longer, then turned and started trotting, "Come with me."

Kazuko stared after the cat, then jogged to catch up, "Uh… you did just speak, right? I mean, I'm not hearing things again, am I?"

The cat threw her a look, then sped up.

Taking the feline's silence as a 'yes', Kazuko sped up, as well, being typical Kazuko and hardly thinking about the consequences of her actions.

* * *

"I'm Kazuko." She said after a while, when the cat had stopped to take a break.

The cat glanced at her, then looked away and said, "Yoruichi."

Kazuko nodded, then said, "Ichigo… isn't the only one here."

"Correct." The cat nodded, "He is also accompanied by three other humans and an outside shinigami; Orihime Inoue, Uryu Ishida, Sado Yasutora, and Ganju Shiba. We were separated upon falling into the Seireitei."

"Oh…" Kazuko paused, then asked, "So, who are we going after?"

"Right now, no one." Yoruichi said, turning to her and staring at her pensively, "Now, tell me, what division are you in?"

"Sixth Division, under Captain Byakuya Kuchiki and Lieutenant Renji Abarai." Kazuko answered.

Yoruichi blinked, then asked, "What do you know about Rukia Kuchiki's current situation?"

"She is to be executed." Kazuko muttered, lowering her eyes, "She was in the holding cell in the Sixth Division a few weeks ago, but since then I think she may have been moved to the Repentance Cell."

"I see…" Yoruichi narrowed his eyes, "How long until her execution?"

"…About thirteen days…" Kazuko answered.

Yoruichi was silent for a moment, then nodded, "Very well." He stood, "Come with me. There's an area I need to investigate, and I'll need your help."

Kazuko was on her feet in a second, ready to follow the cat wherever he led her.

Yoruichi stared at her before he started running, waiting for Kazuko to catch up before asking, "Tell me, why are you so willing to betray the Soul Society?"

"I don't want to betray them!" Kazuko exclaimed, scandalized, "I just… don't want Rukia to die."

"So, you don't think helping intruders and assisting in releasing a criminal of capital punishment constitutes as betrayal?"

"I think… betrayal is too strong a word."

Yoruichi glanced over his shoulder, "You do realize you will be punished for this… I suggest you back out now, before you get in too deep."

Kazuko just stared ahead, her will firmed with resolve, "Any price I pay is acceptable so long as Rukia is saved."

Still running, Yoruichi stared at her for a moment longer, then looked forward and smirked as well as a talking cat could, "You'll do."

* * *

"Okay, I gotta do what now?" Kazuko asked, standing on a shelf of rock before a blank space of rock on the rocky surface of a rock cliff.

Yoruichi sighed, "The training area within this rock can only be accessed by the presentation of a zanpakuto to the rock face. Simply draw your sword and hold it out and the door will be revealed."

Kazuko sighed but complied, holding her blade out horizontally and parallel to the wall.

_This… is a well concealed place._ Hayajihime whispered as her blade shone a grey-blue and the stone in front of Kazuko rippled, melting away to reveal a door.

"Well…" Kazuko blinked, lowing Hayajihime, "That's nifty."

"Hmm, yes." Yoruichi sighed, "Now please open the door for me. This will, for the time, act as our base of operations."

Nodding, Kazuko stepped forward and opened the door, letting the cat enter first before she followed.

Yoruichi looked around, nodding in approval before turning to Kazuko, "If you would, please take down any boxes and open them. Lay out their contents in a neat, organized fashion, and then set up a bed against the wall over there. We might well have to use this room as a medical bay, should Ichigo be as reckless as I think he will be." He then turned and walked to the door.

Kazuko watched him, calling out when he was about to leave, "Mr. Yoruichi…"

The cat paused, "I'll be back soon. I have to go check on the other's progress and gather what information I can." He glanced back, "You're free to come and go as you please, but do make sure that you bring no one other than yourself or any members of Ichigo's party."

The shinigami nodded, "Yes, sir."

"…Ma'am."

Kazuko blinked, "What?"

"Ma'am." Yoruichi glanced back, smirking, "I'm female."

"…Right, Ma'am." Kazuko nodded, "Sorry."

The cat just chuckled, then turned and darted out into the sun, the door shutting behind her.

Kazuko stared at the great, steel and wood door for a moment, then turned to the shelves and began to pull down boxes.

As she opened one, she realized something.

"I'm stuck doing the office work again…" She deadpanned and fell over.

* * *

Rayna: Okay, as I side note, one of the best lines I have written so far (at least, it is in my opinion) can be found in this chapter.

To Quote (from the mouth of Mayuri Kurotsuchi): "Nemu, keep your hands off my Post-its!"

...See what I mean, catharsis25?

...I LOVE POST-ITS!!...

(Oh, and by the way, Halibel Lectar, I'm glad you like it! And thanks for the advice! :) )


	19. A Life Full of Random Lyrics

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Amalia) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

Also, because I used several songs in this, I must inform you all that I do not own 'Livin' La Vida Loca', 'The Toast Song', 'Addicted', 'Breaking the Habit', 'Foxtrot Uniform Charlie Kilo', 'Higher', 'Orchard of Mines', 'How to Save a Life', 'Fake Wings', 'Keep Holding On', 'Unknown Soldier', 'Believe', and 'I Like to Move It'. They belong either to their respective writers, singers, or whoever the writers and/or singers sold the rights to.

(A Life Full of… Random Lyrics)

"Hey, I gotta question." Kazuko said, her head snapping up, "If Captain Mayuri has all of those computers and the ability to regenerate limbs, and the Soul Society issues cell phones to shinigami for certain missions, why is it they were all baffled by filing cabinets and Post-its?"

…_Kazuko, why are you talking to yourself?_

Kazuko rolled her eyes, "Because if I try to talk to you, you and that other lady will get into an argument."

…_I see your point. She is rather brutish, isn't she?_

"Well—"

"**Tha fuck did you say about me, bitch?!"**

Hayajihime sighed, _Do you speak only to prove my point?_

"Guys, pleas—"

"**Why don't you come over here and say that?!"**

_There really is no need, considering you are only furthering my point. Besides, giving in to your demands is beneath me._

"Haya, please don't encour—"

"**Bitch, fuck you! Who in the hell do you think you're talking to?!"**

"SHUT UP!!" Kazuko shouted, jumping to her feet. "THAT'S IT! CLEARLY, I NEED SOMETHING TO DO! SCREW THIS, I'M GOING TO LOOK FOR THE NEAREST MEMBERS OF THE GROUP!"

Angrily bursting through the door, Kazuko stepped out onto the ledge and looked out over the Seireitei. It was late in the evening and the sky was a deep purple, bordering navy.

"Now, let's see, who's—" An explosion and a bright flash of light ripped through the Seireitei, leaving a long line of dust billowing up into the air. Kazuko's eyes widened, "Okay, so I'm definitely _not_ going there…"

_What about going after Captain Zaraki? It was your original mission, and he's probably looking for one of the others… and I'm willing to bet he's looking for Ichigo._

"Yeah, that seems like a good idea, but…" Kazuko blinked, raising a finger and pointing to an area not far away, "I think I feel someone there."

Ignoring any further protests her two inners made, Kazuko leapt down from the ledge and began to work her way back to the ground level of the Seireitei. She was working on making her way over to where she felt the familiar energy ('Orihime?'), when she was intercepted.

"Kazuko Kuruyaki."

Pulling to a sharp halt, Kazuko turned and blinked, waving nervously to the serious-looking men in full-body black suits and masks. "Hi. Did I… do something?"

One of the men stepped forward, "Kazuko Kuruyaki, we are representatives of the Patrol Corps. Eighteen hours ago, you were seen fraternizing with a being who as since been confirmed to be one of the ryoka, specifically a black cat. By order of Captain Soifon of the Second Division, you are hereby under arrest; if you will, make this easier on yourself and come silently."

_Kazuko, don't._

'Huh?'

"**Think about it, idiot. If you quit now, your chance to help save Rukia is done. Fight; it's not like you haven't already betrayed the Seireitei, anyway."**

'I guess…' "Sorry." She called out, "But I'm afraid I can't go with you. I have work to do."

"Helping the intruders, perhaps?" The same man asked, his tone steeling over when she didn't answer, "Kazuko Kuruyaki, you are now resisting arrest. Our orders are clear at this point; we are to use force and you are to be brought to justice, dead or alive."

…_Well, the General-Captain was quick to sign your death certificate, wasn't he?_

'I'm not sure it's so much personal as desperation because of all of the chaos that's broken out.' Kazuko thought, raising her hands helplessly and backing away as the darkly robed Patrol Corps closed in on her.

"**Fuck justifications, moron. Draw your blade and get ready to defend yourself."**

'As if I'd be able to stand against all of them…' Still, Kazuko drew her zanpakuto and held it out, her hands loose on the grip. "Please don't make me fight. I may not be good at it, but I don't intend to lose if you do challenge me."

The Patrol Corps reacted instantaneously, each man drawing his zanpakuto and rushing forward. Kazuko barely had time to defend half of the attacks that came at her, and as for the rest…

"Kazuko Kuruyaki, you are outmatched." A member of the Patrol said as Kazuko looked down at herself, a horrified and sickened look crossing her face as she inspected her injuries. "Surrender," The same man went on, "And your punishment will not be as severe as it will be if you continue resisting."

Kazuko felt nauseated looking at the torn flesh of her arms, nearly fainting on the spot when she imagined she saw a hint of bone through the blood and muscle. Closing her eyes and taking a shaky breath, she was just glad that the shock of the moment had overloaded her nociceptors and the pain had yet to register in her brain.

_Kazuko, don't look at it again._ Hayajihime ordered sternly, somewhat sickened, herself.

The young shinigami shuddered, her stomach roiling when several thin, hanging strips of skin slapped wetly against her body. 'Please, kill me before I can feel this…' Already, though, she was starting to feel a bit sore.

"**Quit being a pansy and suck it up!"** The other woman roared, **"You had better not die because of these wounds! They're meant to stun you into surrendering, not kill you! Hell, there's thirteen of those guys; had they wanted to kill you, it would have happened already!"**

"It's starting to burn!" Kazuko screamed, her arms falling limp and the tip of her sword scraping the ground.

"**RAISE YOUR BLADE, IDIOT!"**

"Surrender, Kuruyaki." One of the men said, stepping closer, "We'll take you to the Fourth Squad, but you must surrender."

"**Never! Say it, Kazuko! Tell them 'never'!"**

Kazuko shivered, "Ne… n-nev…" She trailed off, her knees weakening as searing pain began shooting up her arm. 'Have… to help… Rukia…'

"Kuruyaki, you give us no choice—"

"**That's IT! I can't sit back and let this go on a moment longer!"** The angry woman screamed.

A warm feeling pulsed through Kazuko's body, then an icy-cold sensation gripped her chest and began spreading through her veins like shards of hoarfrost

As Kazuko's vision began to blur out, she heard screaming. She raised her head to look at the sky, blinking slowly when thin strips of milky white began to cross her vision like spider webs. And, still, the screaming went on.

Grey fuzz edged the corners of her sight, slowly spreading inward and gradually darkening. With the last glimpse of the stars above and the milky lattice forming across her face, Kazuko finally realized that the person screaming was herself.

* * *

"Wha… what sort of monster is that?!"

The hologram of Mayuri glanced at his subordinate, then turned back to the scene and frowned. The hologram flickered, and the subordinate was abruptly consumed in flames.

Nemu, still severely injured but moving on the orders of her captain, barely flinched as the burning man fell down beside her, his crisp hands latching onto her legs before he his life faded and the hands slid down to the ground, flesh peeling away and leaving hot blood on Nemu's skin.

"Nemu," Came Mayuri's disembodied voice, the hologram's mouth moving in time to the words, "Go out there and, when Miss Kuruyaki is no longer conscious, bring her back."

Nemu nodded, then ventured, "Sir, is she…?"

Normally, had Mayuri had his body, he would have smacked Nemu before answering. However, because his body was recuperating and the only part of him that was currently in functioning condition was his mind, he stuck with willing the hologram to turn towards his daughter so he could give her a powerful glare before spitting his answer at her.

"Yes, Nemu," He said her name as if it were a curse, "She is. But you will tell _no one_ of this, do you understand?"

Nemu bowed, "Yes, Master."

* * *

_**Your body now belongs to me.**_

'_Upside, inside out she's livin la vida loca_

_She'll push and pull you down, livin la vida loca…'_

_Do you remember us, Amalia?_

_That day started off sunny… but ended so black and cold._

'All around the country coast to coast

People always say 'what do you like most?'

I don't wanna brag, I don't wanna boast

I always tell 'em, 'I like toast''

_A day that will live on in infamy…_

'_Kazuko, fight back! Don't let her do this!'_

_In and out, the thread is sewn._

_A thin silver needle pierces cloth and skin, sewing together in intricate patterns._

_In and out…_

_White thread _

_Turns red_

'_I'm trying to forget _

_But I'm addicted to you_

…

_Heartbreaker_

_Heartbreaker_

_Heartbreaker_

…_Heartbreaker…'_

_**You body is mine.**_

'_So I'm breaking the habit_

_I'm breaking the habit tonight'_

_LIAR!_

_Welcome to PreCalculus, class. My name is Harold Burns, but you, according to the board of education, must call me Mr. Burns. Now, for the first manner of business…_

_Hi. My name's Alexis. What's yours?_

…_Kazuko…_

_Japanese, huh? Funny… you don't look very—_

_My mother's genes overruled my father's._

_Oh, I see…_

…_My mother calls me Amalia, after my grandmother. But my legal name on my birth certificate is Kazuko._

_Ah, I see… So, which do you prefer? Kazuko or Amalia?_

…_Amalia._

_Nice to meet you, Amalia._

'_Foxtrot_

_Uniform_

_Charlie_

_Kilo'_

_Welcome, kids, to Yosemite National Park! Let's go see the geysers before the other tourists get here!_

_Look! A meteor shower!_

_Make a wish…_

'_I wish Mommy and Daddy would quit fighting…'_

_What do you want me to do?! I can't take care of them __and__ work around your schedule at the same time! The children need stability—_

_And they can have it! This promotion means a lot, Mae, just think! My paycheck will be larger than ever and we'll never have to worry about the bills—_

_We can't keep moving them like this!_

_Mae, we— Amalia! Go to your room now!_

'_Can you take me higher?_

_To a place where blind men see…_

_Can you take me higher?_

_To a place with golden streets'_

_Don't do this to us, Kai!_

_I'm sorry, Mae, but I can't take it anymore. I'm sending the children to my sister in Japan. We'll bring them back when we have the custody issues sorted out._

'_Up high I feel like I'm alive for the very first time _

_Up high I'm strong enough to take these dreams _

_And make them mine…'_

_We aren't going back, are we?_

_Kazuko, your parents… aren't ready for you._

_They haven't been ready for us for almost a year, Auntie. How much longer do they need?_

_I honestly couldn't tell you._

'_Don't taint this ground with the color of the past_

_Are the sounds in bloom with you?_

_Cause you feel like an orchard of mines_

_Just take one step at a time'_

_So, your parents are getting a divorce?_

_Yeah. My Mom said that she and Dad are going to send us to live with out aunt in a few months…_

_In Japan?! No way!_

_Yeah…_

_Bu-but how long do you think you'll be gone?! You aren't staying there permanently, are you?!_

_I… I don't know._

_But you can't, Ama! What about…_

_I'm sorry, Alexis, but I don't think there's much I can do about it…_

…_Look, just forget it for now, alright? Let's just enjoy the fieldtrip._

'_Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend_

_Somewhere along in the bitterness_

_And I would have stayed up with you all night_

_Had I known how to save a life'_

_Am-amalia? Amalia?! …Kazuko!_

_O-ohh…_

_Amalia…_

_A…lexis? What… happened? You're…bleeding…_

_The bus crashed. Amalia, how many fingers am I holding up?_

…_Did you know you had four index fingers?_

_Shit. Amalia, hold on!_

…_Alexis, lie down. You're losing too much blood._

_I'm fine. It's you I'm worried about; you have a huge gash on your temple._

_Oh… Alexis… I'm feeling really cold… and sleepy…_

_Oh God, don't go to sleep, Ama! Just… talk to me!_

…_You're looking really pale, Alexis. You need to bandage your arms… or something._

'_Shine bright morning light_

_Now in the air the spring is coming_

_Sweet blowing wind_

_Singing down the hills and valleys_

_Keep your eyes on me_

_Now we're on the edge of hell_

_Dear my love, sweet morning light_

_Wait for me, you've gone much farther, too far'_

_Alexis? Alexis, wake up!_

…_Ugh…_

_Alexis, you need to stop the bleeding! _

_Can't… move… so cold…_

_Just stay awake, then! An ambulance should be here soon…_

…_Ama? It's… getting hard to breathe…_

…_I know…_

'_Keep holding on _

'_Cause you know we'll make it through'_

_Hmmm… interesting. Her Chain of Fate has been completely severed from her body, yet her spirit still lives. She should be a Hollow by now…Tell me, girl, do you want to live?_

…_Where's Alexis?_

_It's far too late for your friend, girl. But you… your energy is most interesting. Do you want to live or not?_

…_Yes._

_Very good. Someone bring me a link from the other girl's chain. I think we'll experiment on the possibility of grafting two different Chains of Fate together…_

_Master, this girl's chain is already—_

_I see that, which is why you must act quickly! Hurry, stupid girl, before the links completely finish consuming themselves!_

'_Show me what it's like, _

_to dream in black and white, _

_so I can leave this world tonight'_

_Are you awake, dear?_

…_Ugh, what happened?_

_Dear… there was an accident. The bus you and your classmates were on was flipped. Now, most of your classmates survived, but—_

_Where's Alexis?!_

…_I'm sorry, honey, but your friend didn't make it._

…_No…_

'_Oh, the people who don't see the most_

_Say that I believe in ghosts_

_And if that makes me crazy, then I am_

'_Cause I believe'_

_Class, we have a new student joining us today. This is Amalia Kuruyaki, who just transferred from the United States._

…_Hi._

'I like to move it, move it

Ya like to— MOVE IT!

All girls all over the world

Original King Julian Pon Ya Case, man!

I love how all the girls a move their body

And when ya move ya body

Uno move it

Nice and sweet and sexy, alright!'

_**" K a z u k o , w a k e u p . "**_


	20. Crushed Chain and Crystal Orb

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Amalia) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

(Crushed Chain and Crystal Orb)

She woke with a jolt, sticky sweat running down her face and her lungs sucking in air at a rate that almost made her lose consciousness again when it overloaded her brain with oxygen.

"Breathe normally, you idiot!" A familiar, pitchy voice shouted, followed by a cold hand smacking her across the face. "Don't make the time I just spent fighting your Hollow and reconstituting you wasted by killing yourself by not breathing properly!"

"C-Captain Yuri?"

The cold hand smacked her again.

"At the very least, Mayuri, brat!"

Kazuko coughed, falling back against the cold metal table and curling in on herself, vaguely noticing that she was naked. "Sorry, Captain Mayuri." She paused, then frowned, "Did you just say 'Hollow'?"

"Indeed." Mayuri scoffed, turning away from her and looking down at some notes on a table behind him. "I must say, I never expected you to make it this far."

Kazuko shivered, "Wh-what do you mean?"

Mayuri glanced back at her, then picked up a pile of cloth and threw it at her. "I mean, I never expected your Chain of Fate to bind so well with the Chain of Fate of that other girl. I would have imagined that you would have died much sooner, or perhaps even ended up a Hollow."

Groaning, Kazuko sat up and pulled the cloth close to her, unfolding it and staring at the scrubs for a moment before slipping them on. Once she had the shirt over her head, she froze and looked at Mayuri with wide eyes, "You mean… you're the one who—"

She remembered it now; how could she not have noticed? The high voice; the white face; the shinigami robes, the purple-haired girl in the short, black kimono that accompanied him.

Nemu had been the one who had gone to Alexis' body and removed a single link from her chain, then handed it to Mayuri.

Mayuri had been the one who had pinned Kazuko's soul to the ground, grabbing what was left of the quickly dissociating chain in her chest and binding it to her human body with the single link taken from her friend.

He had then… done something to her, combining some wicked bright red liquid in a syringe and injecting it into her spirit, then raising his reiatsu to dangerous levels in order to crush the links of her Chain of Fate with the intense pressure.

"That procedure took quite a bit of work." Mayuri muttered to himself, looking back down at his papers, "Yet I hardly expected it to work…"

"You saved me that day." Kazuko murmured.

"Feh." Mayuri scoffed, glaring back at her, "Hardly. I was interested in seeing if a being that had come so close to turning into a Hollow that it had even developed an alter-ego could be turned back into a living, functioning human being. I had merely asked if you wanted to live because I didn't want to waste energy on it if you were just going to commit suicide when you woke."

"…Captain Kurotsuchi, what's wrong with me?"

Mayuri sighed irritably, turning to her and glaring down at her, "Are you so dense that you have yet to figure it out? You have to alters; that of your zanpakuto and that of your Hollow!"

Kazuko frowned, "But I'm… not a Hollow."

"Of course you're not!" Mayuri screeched, "If you were you wouldn't have a zanpakuto and you'd hardly be allowed to remain in the Soul Society!"

Kazuko flinched, lowering her eyes. "…The angry lady sounds like Alexis…" She said after a moment.

The captain thought about this for a moment, "More than likely a side effect of having a foreign link to your Chain of Fate."

The lab fell silent and Mayuri turned away, shuffling through more papers.

After a moment, Kazuko ventured to ask, "So… I'm part Hollow… part shinigami?"

"Yes." Mayuri answered shortly.

"…Does anyone else know?"

"Beyond Nemu, no. I doubt that, other than last night, your powers have ever manifested enough for anyone to notice specifically what you are."

"Last night…" Kazuko gave a frightened gasp, "What happened to the men from the Patrol Corps?!"

"Dead." Mayuri answered, nonchalant, "Your Hollow slaughtered them all." When Kazuko froze and was unable to say anything, he went on, "Fortunately, Nemu was able to get to you and suppress your powers before anyone else arrived, though I am quite sure that most, if not all, of the Seireitei felt your little burst of Hollow energy; it was quite large."

Kazuko didn't hear a word that was said beyond 'slaughtered'. 'I… I killed those men? Me? They died… by my hands?' She looked down at her hands, a morbid image of the pale skin being stained with blood flashing through her mind. "What do I do?"

"Nothing." Kazuko looked up, flinching under Mayuri's steady gaze, "Bringing you to my lab before anyone else discovered you was not an attempt to help you; I plan on studying you. However, you are no longer a shinigami; what _you_ are would never be allowed to assume a position in the Gotei."

"Captain Mayuri… what exactly _am_ I?"

Mayuri smiled widely, eerily, "That is nothing you should worry about."

* * *

Kazuko paced her cell in Mayuri Kurotsuchi's lab, tense and confused beyond reason. From what she had gathered from snippets of overheard conversations and a brief visit from a wayward Hell Butterfly, Captain Aizen was dead, Rukia's execution had been moved up, several of the ryoka had been apprehended, and Captain Mayuri's Affirmation Ball thought his breath was minty.

Though the last bit of information had been rather amusing to hear, the rest were downright disturbing and completely blocked all hilarity from her mind.

'I have to get out of here soon.'

_And what would you do once we escaped? You're in just as bad a place as Ichigo and the others, if not worse._

'I'm in a bad position no matter what, so why not try to help?'

Hayajihime had no comeback to this.

Kazuko stopped pacing and bit her thumbnail. 'How long have I been in here? A few hours?'

_About two days, actually._ Hayajihime corrected.

Kazuko tensed, 'Rukia's execution… it's either today or tomorrow…' "We have to get out of here."

"**Then let's break out."**

Gasping, Kazuko spun around, only to face nothing. The dark woman hadn't spoken since the night of the… 'incident'. And Kazuko prayed she wouldn't come back.

"**Well? Are we going to break out or not?"**

_I think it's quite clear that Kazuko doesn't want to talk to you, so why don't you just go back to your little hole, Hollow._

"**Shut up, zanpakuto."**

"Both of you shut up." Kazuko muttered, walking over to the bars of her cell, looking at what she saw on the floor. She smirked; it was the solidified pile of metal that had once been three of the bars to the cell; this was the same cell she had been in the first time she had been held in Mayuri's lab.

Still smirking, Kazuko reached out and flicked the three bars that had replaced the melted bars; they rung with a high-pitched tone. She then flicked one of the original, older bars; its tone was much lower.

"The new bars are weaker." Reaching into the sleeve of her robe, Kazuko pulled out her old, tattered practice tessen. Snapping it open, she quickly charged the edge with kido and swung it in a decisive vertical movement. The bars held for two more seconds, then fell away in shortened cylinders, leaving a square opening.

"…**Holy shit."**

_Kazuko… did you figure that out… on your own?!_

Kazuko huffed, "I'm not as stupid as you all think I am!"

…_Uh…_

"…**Moving on, shouldn't we be looking for where Rukia is?"**

"Fine." Kazuko pouted, crawling out of the cell and running out of Mayuri's lab.

* * *

"I feel so lost…" Kazuko whimpered, trying to find her way to Sokyoku Hill.

_How did you get there last time?_

"I dunno… I think it was purely by chance."

…_Yeah, I can see that happening._

"…Am I supposed to feel insulted?"

_Dependsl do you know _how_ to feel insulted._

"…You suck."

"**PAY ATTENTION TO THE ROAD, DAMN IT!"**

Kazuko blinked and gasped, buckling her legs and pulling to a stop as quickly as she could, but not quickly enough to stop herself from running into person with a mop of lanky black hair.

Blue-grey eyes looked into green eyes.

Green eyes looked into blue-grey eyes.

Blue-grey eyes blinked, "…AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"

Kazuko panicked, "AAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"

"AAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"

"AAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"

"AAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"

"AAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"

"AAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"

"AAAAH— Okay, my throat hurts." Kazuko said with a sigh.

"AAAH— Oh." The boy blinked.

"…Do you know where Rukia Kuchiki's execution is being held?"

"…You keep going down this road, take the first left, then go down that road a bit further and take the sixth right. Go up the stairs and you'll get to Sokyoku Hill."

"…Thanks. …Kazuko."

"…Hanataro… Are you going to save her?"

"…Yes?"

"Oh… Good luck."

When Kazuko was running again, Hayajihime sighed, _It's really pathetic how easily things come to you sometimes._

"I know."

When she reached the base of the stairs, Kazuko immediately began to ascend. On the way up, though, she felt a sudden, crushing reiatsu.

_We're too far away for it to stop us!_ Haya shouted, _Keep going!_

Gasping and nodding, Kazuko bent her legs and jumped forward five steps, running as soon as she landed. Feeling like she wasn't going fast enough, she dug into her reiatsu and sped up. Within moments she was at the top of the stairs, stumbling onto the dirt ground and skidding to a stop. She looked at the scene before her with wide eyes.

Five people dressed in the robes of shinigami (three of whom Kazuko recognized from school) were being held in place by Gin's reiatsu, while Kaname and Aizen stood not far away, the later standing before a kneeling Rukia.

Kazuko focused on Rukia: The girl looked out of it, her eyes widen and pupils dilated. There was also a large hole in her chest.

"Ah," Aizen smiled, "The perfect subject to test the Orb's authenticity." He raised a hand and beckoned to her, "Come."

"C-captain Aizen?" Kazuko blinked, "You're… supposed to be dead."

"He said to go to him, Little Kazu," Gin said, smirking, "I suggest you listen before your friends get seriously hurt." He then increased his already monumental reiatsu, making Orihime scream and fall to her knees.

Kazuko flinched, then lowered her head and walked straight towards Aizen. A moment later, she was staring down at Aizen's feet with Rukia to the left of her peripheral vision.

"Ka-zu-ko…" Rukia rasped, "D…on't…"

"Sorry, Rukia." Kazuko muttered back, turning slightly to face Aizen while keeping her eyes lowered.

"You know," Aizen muttered, leaning in to speak into her ear, "You played your part perfectly. Not a toe out of place, not a line missed. Though, you were so amazingly predictable, I expected no less from you."

Kazuko raised her eyes to him, shocked.

Aizen smirked, then held up a small crystal in front of her face.

Deep in the center of the crystal was a small, metallic blue gem in the center. Silver streaks on the blue gem swirled and swam.

Kazuko watched the swirling, her body going numb and her mind going blank.

"**Are you seriously going to let this prick do this to you? Fuck, I have to do everything around here!"**

A pulse ran through her body, then a sharp pain in the center of her chest. The pain lasted a second before it began to disperse, and Kazuko felt herself sinking further and further out of consciousness. Just before she blanked out, though, the sinking stopped and she stayed where she was, locked somewhere in lucidity.

"Just sit back and let me handle this."

"…**What?"**

_Kazuko, she's taken over your body._

"**How?"**

_Watch._

Unable to do anything else, Kazuko waited for something to happen. Them, she panicked as her hand raised of its own accord and drew her zanpakuto, swinging it at Aizen, who was quick to dodge.

"Oh?" Aizen asked, his voice sounding a bit echo-y and distorted, "You changed that quickly? So, you've come into contact with the Orb of Distortion before, have you?"

"Shut the fuck up, Aizen." Someone with Kazuko's voice but who wasn't Kazuko snapped, holding out the zanpakuto and quickly changing it to shikai.

"Interesting mask." Aizen smirked, "It somewhat resembles a raptor skull."

"Birds _are_ masters of the skies and winds." Not-Kazuko said, her sassy tone implying a returned smirk.

"Indeed." Aizen nodded, then sighed, "Well, as interesting as this is, our little talk has to end. Gin, if you will."

Kazuko watched from the background as something slim and silver shot out from her chest, dripping with her blood.

Not-Kazuko looked down at the blade, "Wh-what?!"

Aizen chuckled, "Now, if you will stand aside." He raised his hand, a ball of red energy forming in his palm. After a moment, it shot forward at an amazing speed and struck Kazuko in the chest, and though she could feel nothing she knew Not-Kazuko did.

The scene changed as Aizen seemed to fall back, then Kazuko was looking up at the sky.

The picture narrowed, flickered, then went black.

* * *

Later, after the three traitorous captains had fled and those who were in critical condition were being treated on top of Sokyoku Hill, Unohana came across the body of Kazuko, still bleeding slowly from a slim wound in her chest and still unconscious.

"Isane." The silver-haired woman came to her captain's side a moment later, looking down at Kazuko. "Have her taken to the human world." Unohana muttered, "Tell no one of this.

Isane nodded, walking away and whispering the order to two other shinigami from the Fourth Division.

When the two shinigami nodded, Unohana looked back down at Kazuko and shook her head, "I am so sorry… You would have been a fine shinigami, had you been given time."


	21. You Are Not Alone

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Amalia) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

(You Are Not Alone)

_Once there was a magical elf_

_Who lived in a rainbow tree_

_He lived downstairs_

_From a flatulent dwarf_

_Who was constantly having to pee_

_One day the elf could take no more_

_So he went and banged on the rude dwarf's door_

_And what do you know_

_They suddenly both_

_Were maaaaaarried_

…Where in the hell did that come from?

_Bum bum bum_

_Another one bites the dust!_

…Huh?

_Aizen moonwalked onto the scene, waggling his eyebrows suggestively and moaning in an unnaturally baritone voice, "Ooooohhh, yeaaaaaaah."_

…Ew.

_Bitch, get the fuck out!_

_Bitch, get the fuck out!_

…Wow.

_Gin appeared, smile as wide as ever, and put his hands on either side of his head, like floppy ears. He then began to swing his hips back and forth while the song _Caramelldansen_ began playing in the background._

…I officially regret ever listening to that song.

_Nom, nom, nom… Cookie?_

…I don't ever remember watching Sesame Street…

…_Why the fuck do you always have the strangest dreams?_

…That's what I'd like to know.

* * *

"That is the last time I sniff Sharpies before I go to bed…" Kazuko muttered, opening her eyes blearily and looking at the ceiling.

When she wasn't looking at the normal forest green of her ceiling, but rather a light beige, it took Kazuko a minute to remember that she hadn't gone to bed the night before after getting into a drawing fight with her brothers, because she had been dead for two years and hadn't seen them in that length of time.

Rather, she had passed out the day before after being impaled by Gin Ichimaru's zanpakuto.

"Then… were am I now?" Kazuko frowned, noticing that the ceilings and the bed she was in weren't standard in the Fourth Division medical unit, the holding cells of any of the squads, or even Mayuri's lab. "Am I… not in the Seireitie?"

As soon as she said this, Kazuko panicked. She sat up quickly, wincing and grabbing her chest when she was assaulted by a stabbing pain. She felt coarse bandages under her fingers, and she felt them get wet as the wound underneath reopened.

Sucking in a pained breath, Kazuko rolled onto her stomach and pushed herself to her knees, crawling across the dark room to the vague outline of a nearby door. Hearing voices on the other side, she pressed her ear to the paper door and listened, recognizing the voices of Kisuke and Tessai.

"—on't be able to go back to the Seireitei, will she?"

"Are you kidding? She'd be killed as soon as she stepped out of the Senkaimon, no matter how much she was liked. By their standards, she's a monster and a traitor now, even if the transformation wasn't by choice."

"…We'll be giving her a room here, right?"

"Of course. As if I'd let her wander the streets on her own. Besides, being in that gigai I gave her keeps her safe from them, but puts her in danger of everyday occurrences."

"Still, now that word of you has reached the Gotei again, their agents may come. It won't be safe for her then."

"…We'll worry about that when the time comes. She's too unstable to be left alone; she may just lose control and kill someone."

Kazuko backed away from the door, sitting down and staring down at her hands. 'I… can't go back to the Seireitei? I'm… dangerous?'

At that moment, the door slid open and Kazuko fell back, looking up nervously.

"Hey, there." Kisuke smiled down at her, "Good to see you awake. Care to join Tessai and I for a little tea?"

Kazuko nodded and stood, keeping her eyes on the ground.

"Alright, then," Kisuke's smile changed slightly, taking a more… lecherous look, "You should probably get a shirt and some pants on, though. They're over by the bed."

Kazuko nodded again, keeping her head down to hide her flushed face and her annoyed look.

Kisuke laughed and slid the door shut.

Sighing, Kazuko pulled on her robes, bitterly thinking that she would never be able to officially wear them again as a shinigami. Strapping her zanpakuto to her side, Kazuko walked out of the room and down the hall, keeping her eyes lowered sullenly when she reached the room where Kisuke and Tessai were drinking tea.

"Sit, Miss Kazuko," Tessai gestured to an empty spot at the table, "You look tense. Have some tea."

She complied obediently, staring at the table as a cup of tea was set in front of her. She watched the jade-colored liquid swirl for a moment before asking, "I'll never be a shinigami again… will I?"

"No." Kisuke answered seriously, "You're something else now."

"Half shinigami, half Hollow." Kazuko nodded, "Is there a name for that?"

"Yeah, but I'm not sure I'm the one to tell you." He paused, then asked, "You know you can learn to control that Hollow, right?"

Kazuko looked at him sardonically, "Mr. Urahara, _Haya_ and I still get into frequent arguments; what makes you think I'd be able to control a Hollow?"

"Hey, I never said it'd be easy." Kisuke said, raising his hands in defense, "Actually, it'll be hard. But, it is possible. You just have to want it."

The female ex-shinigami thought about it, then sighed, "When do we start?"

Kisuke smirked, pulling out a fan and covering his face, "Tomorrow."

* * *

Kazuko looked down at her hands, shaking at the blood along the length of the zanpakuto she held.

One second.

That was all it had taken.

One second of letting her anger get to her, letting the Hollow have her way, and she had severely hurt someone. And not just anyone; she had hurt a child. She had hurt Jinta.

"Jinta?" Ururu stared in shock down at her bleeding friend, then cried, "JINTA!"

Kazuko shook harder as Tessai bent over the boy, Kisuke pulling Ururu away and embracing her. She hadn't meant to do it. They had just been training. Jinta had started teasing her, then went a bit too far and mocked her brothers.

It had gotten her… so angry.

It had been all the Hollow needed to come out and seriously hurt the unprepared boy, delivering a deep slash that cut him from his right hip up to his left shoulder.

Kazuko nearly dropped her zanpakuto, but the hilt seemed to defy gravity and forced her hands to stay in place, so she just let her arms fall lip and walked backwards slowly, the tip of the blade trailing on the ground.

"Kazuko," Kisuke looked at her, his eyes soft, "This wasn't your fault."

She wasn't listening, though.

'I'm a monster…' She thought.

"It was my fault." Kisuke went on, "I never should have let Jinta and Ururu train you; Tessai and I should have handled it. I should have taken into account how unstable your powers still are."

Kazuko wouldn't hear of it. Panicking, she turned and ran, ignoring Kisuke's protesting calls as she climbed the ladder. Once at the top, she ran to and out the front door and onto the street, clumsily sliding her zanpakuto back into its sheath with fumbling fingers.

She had killed the boy. She was sure of it. Her Hollow had made her into a monster and she had just killed a little boy.

The dark night hid her movements well, and the only sight of her was as she flashed along beneath the flickering streetlights. Kazuko ran long and hard, not knowing where she was going and not caring as long as it got her as far away from the Urahara Shop as possible.

Some time later, her legs gave out and she fell to her knees, panting heavily and pressing a hand against the painful stitch in her side. As if to make matters worse (and because the sky can be such a vindictive bastard) it started to rain.

'How cliché.' She though as she looked to the sky, wincing and closing her eyes when a drop of rain landed on her cornea. 'I suppose next someone who understands my pain will come along and offer to help me?'

…Even if that was to happen, it wasn't destined to happen that night.

Kazuko stayed on her knees for several hours, face tilted towards the sky and rain cascading down her frail gigai/human body. Eventually her neck fell asleep and she collapsed, giving into the cold embrace of Mother Nature and using the hard concrete as a bed.

* * *

For several days Kazuko wandered up and down the bank of the canal she had come to a stop at helplessly. She had nowhere to go, no one to turn to, and to make matters worse her gigai was demanding food, which she had no money for.

She couldn't go back to Urahara Shop (no way in hell), nor could she turn to Ichigo and the others (they were all working with Urahara, right?); she couldn't look for her brothers and aunt (she was two years dead, and wouldn't that be an awkward reunion), and she couldn't go to a hotel (remember? no money).

So, the only thing she could think to do was wander up and down the canal for house on end… That and fight every Hollow that suck her out.

"They just keep coming!" Kazuko gasped, taking a step back and thrusting her zanpakuto forward, piercing a Hollow straight through its mask.

_They're probably confused about why you have a zanpakuto but feel like a Hollow._

The day faded to evening and Kazuko found herself sitting underneath a service bridge, watching the water rush by.

"Hachi, are you sure you felt it over here?"

"Oh, yes Kuna. Quite sure."

Kazuko found the wording 'felt' a bit odd, but ignored it nonetheless.

'They can't see my zanpakuto as long as I am in my gigai, and if it's someone who works for the irrigation district I'll just leave and come back later.' She though, leaning back and closing her eyes.

"Hey, look Hachi! Could she be the source of the reiatsu?"

Kazuko jolted with a start, her eyes snapping open and staring at the green-haired girl and the large man holding several plastic bags standing on the other side of the canal, staring right at her.

The girl giggled and raised her hand, waving jovially, "Hello!"

After a moments pause, Kazuko smiled nervously and waved back.

"Kuna," The large man said, "This is her."

"Really?" The girl asked, looking up at the man, "Are you sure, Hachi? She looks so young!"

While they were talking, Kazuko slowly got to her feet and sidled to her left until she was standing with a service staircase behind her, turning and running up the steps.

'Who are they? How do they know about reiatsu?!'

When she saw the top of the stairs she tensed, ready to bolt, but as soon as she set foot on the last step she froze.

"Why'd ya run away?"

Kazuko gasped and took a step back, staring shocked at the green-haired girl and the large man.

"I think she was trying to get away from us, Kuna." The large man, Hachi, said.

Kuna, the girl, pouted, "Why would you do that? We haven't done anything to make you angry, have we?"

"Wh-who are you?" Kazuko stuttered, "And why were you looking for me?!"

"That's easy!" Kuna smiled, "We were looking for you because of your reiatsu!"

"How do you know about reiatsu?"

Kuna giggled, raising her hand twisting her wrist so her palm faced the sky. "'Cause we have it, too, see?" A small ball of blue-white reiatsu gathered.

Kazuko gapped, staring at the ball.

"You can do this, right?" Kuna asked, tilting her head slightly, "Control reiatsu, I mean."

Trembling, Kazuko took a step back, "What do you want from me? You… aren't shinigami sent by the Gotei, are you?" She hunched slightly, her trembling increasing, "I swear I didn't mean to! Please don't take my back to Captain Kurotsuchi's lab!"

"Oh, you don't need to worry about that!" Kuna said brightly, a kind smile on her face, "We aren't with them at all. See, if we read your reiatsu right, you're like us."

"Like… you?" Kazuko whispered, an almost painful bubble of hope welling up in her chest slightly before freezing, waiting to be popped at any moment if the girl wasn't really like her.

"Yes, it's true." Hachi nodded, smiling, "Come with us and we'll talk about it, where it's safe."

"Safe?" Kazuko liked the sound of that. It was all almost too good to be true; somewhere safe to go with people who understood her problems. Did they have Hollows in them, too?

"My name is Kuna Mashiro, and this is Hachigen Ushoda." Kuna said, holding out her hand, "What's your name?"

Kazuko hesitated, then took Kuna's hand, "Kazuko Kuruyaki."

Kuna nodded, her smile widening, "Hi, Kazuko! Well, let's go!"

Stumbling when Kuna began to pull her, Kazuko quickly got over her shock and regained her footing, following Kuna while Hachi brought up the back.

'Do they really understand? Do they have Hollows? Do they have… someplace safe I can go, where I can't hurt anyone anymore?' Kazuko though, smiling, 'That… would be so nice.'

* * *

"Well, here we are!" Kuna said brightly when she had come to a stop in front of a building.

Kazuko looked up at the building, frowning in doubt.

They had walked to the other side of the city and down several dark, labyrinth-like alleyways that led them to the large storage units in the back. Kuna had walked straight to the last storage building, which looked old and abandoned, and stopped in front of it.

It was this building she was looking fondly upon.

"We're safe here." Kuna assured, smiling at Kazuko. "It's really easy to defend and Hachi keeps up such great barriers that no one ever finds us unless we want them to!"

"You guys live here?" Kazuko asked.

"Yep." Kuna nodded, standing back as Hachi opened the door, "Me, Hachi and all the others!"

"O-others?!" Kazuko gasped as Kuna drug her inside.

"Hey, guys! We're back! And, we brought company!"


	22. You're Short

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Amalia) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

(…You're Short)

"Who in the hell is this?"

Kazuko flinched as an angry blonde glared up at her, scowling.

"Why the hell did you bring her here, Kuna?"

"She's like us, Hiyori!" Kuna explained, her smile never fading. "She's a vizard!"

"Vizard?" Kazuko blinked, "Does that mean you guys have Hollows inside you, too? Are you really like me?"

"Like you? Feh!" The small blonde girl sneered, "More like _you_ are like us." She stood on her tiptoes, squinting, "You're a vizard, huh? How old are you?"

"Sixteen…" Kazuko muttered, taking a step back.

Hiyori blinked, shocked, "Sixteen…" She then smacked herself in the forehead, "They're just turning anyone into vizard these days, aren't they?!"

Kazuko blinked, then raised her hand slowly and held it to the top of her forehead, as if saluting. The others watched her amusedly as she slowly lowered it until her palm touched the top of Hiyori's head (which was just a bit above her chest but below her eyelevel), whereupon she said, "Well, I'm sure that if they could overlook height, then they can overlook age."

Hiyori twitched, "…You wanna run that by me again?"

Kazuko blinked again, "I called you short."

Hiyori twitched again, then drew her zanpakuto, "You little bitch!"

She then jumped to attack Kazuko, but was stopped when a tall man with jaw length, straight cut blonde hair grabbed her by the back of her collar and hoisted her over his shoulder, grinning down at Kazuko.

"You've got guts, I'll give you that." He chuckled.

Kazuko smiled sheepishly and scratched the back of her head, "No, I'm just really stupid."

The blonde man smirked, then leaned in closer to her face and looked at her, "So, do you really have an inner Hollow? How did it happen?"

Smile fading in an instant, Kazuko lowered her eyes and answered, "Captain Aizen… used the crystal with the blue orb in it on me." When her answer was met with silence, she looked up at the man with a defeated expression, "I can't ever go back… can I?"

The man's face deadpanned and he shook his head, "No, you can't."

"If the others find me… they'll hunt me, won't they?" Kazuko asked, lowering her head.

"Probably." The man answered.

Slouching, Kazuko stepped back until her back met the metal of the door, "Haya… I told you I never wanted to be a shinigami…"

_I'm sorry, Kazuko. Had I know, I never would have pushed it on you._

"So, I'm taking it you haven't mastered controlling you inner Hollow, have you?"

Kazuko looked up at the blonde man, her eyes wide, "I hurt someone trying to… I don't wanna do that again."

The man quirked a brow, "You'd rather risk hurting other people?" When she didn't answer, the man turned and walked away, a glaring Hiyori still dangling from his back, "Thing is, kid, we can't just let ya walk out of here now that we know you've definitely got an inner Hollow . Now that you're here, you can't leave until you either suppress your Hollow or die." He flung Hiyori onto the sofa, then turned back to Kazuko and went on, "First thing you gotta do is pass a test."

"Test?" Kazuko asked, confused.

"Yep. You gotta show us just how powerful your Hollow is."

Kazuko stared at him, panicking, "Are you kidding?! That'd mean I'd have to let her take control, and if I did that she'd hurt someone again!" When the blonde man opened his mouth to object, Kazuko desperately shouted, "SHE HURT A LITTLE BOY WITH MY HANDS!"

"And I'm real sorry to hear that," The blonde man sighed, rolling his eyes and not looking sorry in the least, "But think about it. If you don't learn to control it, it could do worse in the future. Imagine it attacking a whole _school_ filled with little kids, or maybe even a nursery. Hell, if you're going to worry, worry about other people, as well. Men, women, children, the elderly… you name it, they're in danger. Unless, that is, you learn to suppress it."

"…Really?" When the man just stared at her, Kazuko sighed. "Alright." She then turned away from him and the others and faced the wall. "Hey, evil lady, are you still there?"

"**You moron, of course I am! As if I have any-fucking-where else to go!"**

"No need to get snippy." Kazuko pouted, "Listen, this guy wants me to—"

"**Yeah, yeah, like I haven't already heard it, you fucking ignoramus. So, you actually plan on trying to suppress me? Hah! That's a laugh."**

Kazuko sighed, "It'd be really nice to have you, for once, not fight me."

"…**You know, I don't regret doing what I did to that little punk-ass brat. I **_**like**_** doing shit like that. Does that put into perspective what exactly I am? The only reason I'm tolerant with you is because if you die, I'm out of a home. You let me out, and I will kill them."**

"…You're a monster." Kazuko growled, "Now get out here so these guys can kick your ass." When the woman just grumbled back, Kazuko turned back to Kuna, Hachi, Hiyori, the blonde man, and all of the other people in the room and smiled, "Okay, she'll be out in a minute."

The vizard just stared at her, Hiyori finally bursting, "Did you just _talk_ to your Hollow?!"

Kazuko blinked, "Yeeeaaaaah… What, is that weird?"

Hiyori just bluntly stated, "You're a freak."

"How frequently does that happen?" The blonde man asked, frowning.

After thinking about it for a moment, Kazuko shrugged, "Whenever she wants it to happen or I need it to happen, I guess. We could probably do it all the time, but then she and Haya would get into arguments and I'd never get any peace."

"'Haya'?"

"Hayajihime!" Kazuko smiled, "My zanpakuto!"

"I'll say it again," Hiyori growled, "You're a freak."

Kazuko frowned sullenly and was about to come back with an angry height-related protest when she felt a pulse rush through her body and her reiatsu spiked. Everything turned hazy, then black.

* * *

The vizard watched silently as Kazuko's eyes changed, her sclera turning black and her irises turning gold. Thin strands of an ivory-white liquid began to spider web across half of her face, forming a white mask with accenting blue stripes and an almond-shaped eyehole, a long, elegant curving beak, and a group of five thick bands that arched off the back of her head, two up and three down, that tapered off into fine wisps. Her hair also took a metallic-blue tint.

The visible side of Kazuko-Hollow's face held a wide, sinister smirk that the vizard knew the real Kazuko didn't have in her.

"You wanted to see me, fuckface?" Kazuko-Hollow asked in a mock-sweet voice.

Shinji smirked, drawing his zanpakuto, "You and I are scheduled for a spar."

"Screw sparring." Kazuko-Hollow reached for an invisible sword at her side, then summoned a physical Hayajihime and drew the blade. She crouched and smirked, "Let's just have an all-out fucking _fight_."

"If you insist." Shinji then disappeared, reappearing a moment later in front of Kazuko-Hollow and swinging his sword down. Kazuko-Hollow lifted Hayajihime and effortlessly blocked his blade, making Shinji smirk, "My name is Shinji Hirako, and I'll be kicking your ass today."

Kazuko-Hollow smirked, "And I'll be serving you yours on a silver platter, fuckface." She then lashed forward, pushing Shinji back. When he was away, she ran two fingers along the length of Hayajihime and grinned, "Shikai."

Shinji waited, watching as the katana changed into a tessen and quirking a brow, "You really think a little hand fan is going to hurt me?"

Kazuko-Hollow just flicked the fan open and held it out to her right, "Kamaitachi!!" She then swung the tessen forward and let it go, the weapon surrounding itself in a burst of reiatsu and turning a burning grey-blue.

The tessen flew right at Shinji with amazing speed, but he simply watched it, bored. At the last minute, he stepped aside and let the tessen fly past. Once he had, though, he realized that several crescent bursts of energy had formed _after_ the tessen and were flying at him, as well. As he dodged them, the tessen arced into the air and spun back towards Kazuko-Hollow, landing in her waiting hand.

The blasts that Shinji had dodged tore into the barriers that Hachi had erected, destroying three.

"I don't think Kazuko has ever used the 'Kamaitachi'…" Kazuko-Hollow muttered, looking down at the tessen, "Though I do believe she used a variant a few times… none of them were even close to Hayajihime's full potential." She sneered, "She truly is pathetic."

"I think that's about enough out of you." Shinji shot forward, hitting the Hollow mask solidly with the butt of his sword.

The mask cracked, then crumbled, leaving a confused Kazuko behind with the black and gold slowly fading from her eyes and the metallic-blue tint from her hair. She looked up at Shinji, dazed and baffled, then fell to her knees and grabbed her head, moaning.

"I wanna overdose on pain medications…" She groaned, then giggled and said, "Mmmmm, morphine."

"No time for that," Shinji grunted, grabbing the back of her robes and yanking her up until she was eyelevel with him, "Now begins the second phase."

"Dun wanna." Kazuko pouted sullenly, sticking out her lower lip, "Wanna nap. Room spinning… and Mr. Shinji is suddenly a quintuplet."

"**As if **_**one**_** of the fuckface wasn't bad enough…"**

Shinji quirked a brow, "'Mr.' Shinji?" He sighed and rolled his eyes, then walked over to the couch and set Kazuko on it, "Take a quick nap, then. When you wake up, though, we're getting right back to work."

Though she was dead tired and could easily fall asleep sitting up, like she was, Kazuko couldn't find it in her to close her eyes.

"We were never properly introduced," She mumbled, looking at the vizard, "My name is Kazuko Kuruyaki."

The vizard sighed in annoyance, but gave in.

"Love Aigawa." A tall man with an afro said.

"Shinji Hirako."

"Mashiro Kuna."

"Kensei Muguruma." The silver-haired one said.

"Rose." The man with the flowing blonde mane sighed.

"Hiyori Surugaki."

"Hachigen Ushoda."

"Lisa Yudomaru." Kazuko blinked. 'She bares a scary resemblance to Lieutenant Nanao…'

"It's nice to meet you all." Kazuko smiled tiredly, pulling her zanpakuto close to her chest and closing her eyes.

* * *

"Where'd ya find her?" Shinji asked, stuffing his hands into his pockets and staring down at Kazuko.

"Underneath a bridge on the other side of town." Hachi answered, "She thought we were from the Gotei and was afraid we would take her back to Mayuri Kurotsuchi's laboratories."

"Kurotsuchi?" Kensei scowled, "What in the hell was she doing there?"

"Let's just say she wasn't exactly brought into the Seireitei by conventional means." The vizard turned, a few drawing their zanpakuto and digging into their reiatsu when they saw a tall woman with blue hair in a blue kimono standing behind them. The woman raised one hand, "Hold. My name is Hayajihime."

"Hayajihime?" Lisa repeated, frowning, "Kuruyaki's zanpakuto?"

Hayajihime nodded, "That is correct."

"Waddya want?" Hiyori asked.

"I wanted to thank you for helping her." Hayajihime answered, smiling down at Kazuko, "She can be really helpless and naïve."

Shinji shrugged lazily, "Eh, whatever."

"There's another reason I'm here, though." Hayajihime went on, crossing her arms over her slim stomach and rolling her shoulders so her hair cascaded down her back, "When you begin the second stage of her training, I'd like to help."

"You?" Shinji asked, quirking a brow.

"Yes, me." Hayajihime pursed her lips, blue eyes narrowing, "No one knows her current skill level better than I do, and none of you know how to properly train her for the style of fighting she must use. In addition, Kazuko is rather… difficult when it comes to training and must be handled in a specific way, otherwise she won't learn anything. On top of that," She looked down at her human tiredly, "She is bordering on becoming ready to begin training for bankai."

"Bankai?" Shinji was frowning and serious now, "After only three years as a shinigami?"

The zanpakuto sighed, "Sadly, I am afraid that I am a rather… weak zanpakuto, as I am sure you have noticed. Not only is Kazuko unable to properly use me when I am in my initial state because of her lacking zanjutsu, my shikai is more for avoidance than actual…" She paused, searching for the proper word, "'Hardcore' melee fighting. My actual melee power is more in my bankai. Because of this, Kazuko has progressed thus far at a rate that is, in my own opinion, unacceptably dangerous, but necessary for her situation."

The vizards were silent for a moment, then Shinji finally asked, "How far are you willing to push her?"

Hayajihime glared at him, "I made her achieve shikai in one week. How far do you _think_ I'll push her?"

"Hmm…" Shinji rubbed his chin in thought, staring at the ceiling, "That _is_ rather irrational…" He then looked at the zanpakuto and shrugged, "Fine, you can help."

"Oh, _thank you_, kind sir for letting me _assist_ in training my own human." Hayajihime sighed, rolling her eyes. She then closed her eyes and disintegrated, leaving everyone to stare at where she had been.

After a moment, Hiyori turned to Kuna and Hachi and glared at them, "I blame you two for this mess."

"Why uuuuuus?" Kuna wined, pouting.

Hiyori growled, "Because you two brought her here!"

This led to a argument, which Shinji quickly found himself involved in when Hiyori pulled him in front of her to use as a human shield and fend of various attacks, which quickly resulted in the poor man being bloodied and bruised.

The other vizard sighed at this, Rose turning to Lisa and asking, "Exactly how long do we live, again?"

"Too long," Lisa answered, sitting down beside the still unconscious Kazuko and pulling out a manga, "Too long."


	23. Quick Family Reunion

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Amalia) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

(Quick Family Reunion)

"How long do I gotta do this again?" Kazuko panted, her legs moving back and forth as she used Hiyori's elliptical trainer.

"As long as you can." Lisa answered, looking down at her swimsuit magazine. "Usually about three days. Now, one, two. One, two. One, two. One, two—"

"Is that supposed to help?!" Kazuko gasped.

"It's motivational." Lisa replied dully.

Noting the irony, Kazuko lowered her head and continued to run. She could feel the machine draining her reiatsu, but chose to ignore it.

_It's probably part of the training._ Hayajihime said. _They want to see just how much reiatsu you have._

'How much do you think I have?'

_A bit more than an average shinigami at your level has, but not nearly as much these people do. Then again, they've been training longer than you have._

"Meh." Kazuko sighed, glancing over at the sofa.

Had the vizard not been so disinterested in her general progress, she might have felt slightly demeaned. But, because they seemed too interested in doing their own thing, like reading manga, listening to music, or engaging in staring contests, Kazuko just felt tired. Really, really tired.

"I wanna nap…" She moaned.

"Are you kidding me?" Shinji asked, not looking away from the glaring contest he and Hiyori were in, "Your last nap lasted almost two days. How can you still be tired?"

"I think… it was that… transformation," Kazuko panted, "Things like that… tend to drain me… a lot."

"If that's true, you're screwed with the next stage of training." Hiyori said, smirking.

Kazuko looked at her, then looked at the blank space in front of her and zoned out. She 'ran' on for a while longer, then suddenly stopped, her head turning slowly to look at the wall behind her.

"Done already?" Lisa asked, looking up from her magazine.

"Something's wrong…" Kazuko muttered.

The vizard looked at where she was looking, Shinji quirking a brow after a moment, "Yeah, it's a Hollow. So what?"

"Sooooo…" Kazuko blinked, "People… are… in… danger?"

Hiyori and Shinji both looked away from their glaring contest and looked at Kazuko, Hiyori blinking slowly, "And that's… bad?"

"Yes!" Kazuko stared at her fellow vizard, shocked, "Do you mean to tell me you guys used to be shinigami and you don't even fight Hollows anymore?!"

"Generally, no." Rose answered, "We usually don't interfere unless it affects us directly. We let the shinigami handle it."

"But… you're shinigami… kinda… aren't you?" Kazuko asked, frowning, "I mean, we all are. We were shinigami who had the Hollow in us awakened, right? Even if we do have a Hollow, we still have zanpakuto, can use kido, and can kill Hollows, right? So why—"

"Because I hate humans." Hiyori growled, glaring at Kazuko, "I don't really give a damn about why the others don't, but I personally hate humans. And I hate shinigami, too." Hiyori paused before adding, "We're the only ones of our kind, Kazuko, and none of us have to worry about any of us betraying each other. We're the only ones we can trust."

"Banished by the shinigami." Rose sighed. "Branded traitors and chased out of the Seireitei."

"Shunned by Hollow." Lisa added, glancing up from her magazine, "They hunt us if we confront them, and most of them are too barbaric to deal with."

"We are our own kind, Kazuko." Shinji concluded, "We lost our humanity long ago, we lost our status as shinigami, and we can't claim any status as Hollows. We're stuck where we are, and no species can tolerate us."

Kazuko stared at the vizard, the fallen shinigami-Hollow hybrids, for a moment, then slowly stepped off of the elliptical trainer and grabbed her zanpakuto, slowly and deliberately strapping it to her side.

She knew that she was being watched by every set of eyes in the room, but it wasn't until she was opening the door of the storage building that Shinji finally asked, "Where are you going?"

"That Hollow," Kazuko began, being as slow and deliberate in her words as she had been with her movements, "Is somewhere near the middle school in the area where my brothers live. If they are where I think they are, then they're at that school. I don't care if I've been dead for two years or if they've almost completely forgotten me, they're still my brothers, and nothing, not even the line between human and vizard, is going to stop me from saving them."

After a brief pause to let her words sink in, Kazuko walked out of the door.

"I should be back before evening, if I'm still welcomed. If I'm not, close the door before I get back."

She didn't seriously think about the possible consequences of what she had done until she was well into town, and even when she realized that she had probably just lost herself her third home in four years Kazuko didn't turn back, intent on killing the Hollow.

_And if they close that door, then what?_ Hayajihime pressed as Kazuko jumped to the top of the nearest building and began to run, leaping from roof to roof, _You have no where else to go, Kazuko. Although I am sure that Urahara would welcome you back—_

'After what I did, there's no way I can go back there.' Kazuko snapped, effectively shutting her zanpakuto up.

The closer she got to the old apartment she had once called home, the faster she ran. Thankful that gigai had far fewer physical restrictions than human bodies did, Kazuko turned sharply on her heel the moment she landed on top of her old apartment complex, shooting in the direction of the nearby school and leaving behind quite the sonic boom.

She saw the Hollow, a gigantic anthropomorpha with grotesque, bulging arms and a long, flat mask on its surfboard-shaped head, before she made it to the school and, landing on the building across the street from the school, she leapt high into the air and flipped around, landing in front of the Hollow with her sword drawn.

Not needing to look behind her to know she was standing between the Hollow and several frightened children, Kazuko quickly leapt forward and drove her zanpakuto into the top of the Hollows mask, dragging the silver blade down until it broke out at the bottom. Even as the tainted human soul was dissipating, Kazuko ran again and jumped into a nearby grove of trees, hiding from the humans.

She thought she was well hidden, until a few minutes later when two boys walked into the grove of trees and began looking for her.

"We know you're in here, Kazuko." One of the boys said, staring up into the trees, "So just come out, already."

For a moment, the glade was silent. Then, Kazuko whispered, "Jiro?" She jumped out of the tree, landing in front of the two boys, "Kenji?"

The boys, their once brown hair darkened to black and their eyes, Kenji's green and Jiro's grey, looked up at their sister in awe, adoration, and shock.

"Kazuko?" Kenji muttered, shocked.

She smiled nervously, giggling, "Hey, guys." She stumbled back, flailing her arms as she tried to regain her balance so that she and the boys who had launched themselves at her didn't fall over.

"You're alive?!" Jiro asked, looking up at her with wide eyes.

Kazuko grimaced, raising her hand and tilting it back and forth, "Kinda, sorta, not really."

"So… you're dead?" Kenji corrected, frowning.

"Meh." Kazuko shrugged, backing away and holding out her arms, "For all intents and purposes, yes. But this boy is a faux body that I use to harbor my spirit in so that I can walk around with the living."

"Should you be telling us this much?" Jiro asked, quirking a brow.

"Ah—" Kazuko cut off, blinking. She then glared down at her brother, "Smart alec."

"What was that thing?" Kenji asked, changing the subject.

She was about to answer when she stopped again, blinking, "You saw it?" When both her brothers nodded, Kazuko sighed and shook her head, "Auntie still works late, right? I'll tell you when you get out of school and come home. I'll be waiting." She then jumped over the trees and onto a nearby roof, heading back to her old home.

She had hardly had time when she passed the first trip to get a good look at her old home, but now that she took a moment to inspect it she found the apartment complex really hadn't changed.

'And neither have Auntie's hiding places.' Kazuko thought as she pulled the spare key out from inside the little fern in the blue pot in front of the door.

She found the inner décor hadn't change, either.

Soft beige carpet, cool blue walls, and sparse, small plants gave the home a nice, calm feel. Smiling nostalgically, Kazuko slipped off her shoes and stumbled into the living room, collapsing on the sofa. After breathing in the clean scent of the floral print, she got back to her feet and walked around a bit more, finally heading down the hall to see what had become of her room.

She had expected her aunt to change it into a sewing room or a storage closet, but was utterly shocked to see that the room had been left exactly the way she had left it the morning of the accident. Of course, things had been dusted, clothes she had strewn across the floor had been washed and put away, and several askew knickknacks had been straightened, but the room looked like it was waiting for her.

Kazuko felt slightly sick, 'It's like time's stopped here…'

Sighing, she walked over to the dresser and opened it, glancing at all of her clothes.

"Loved that shirt… loved that shirt… loved those pants… loved that skirt… hated those shorts… eeeeewww… shorts."

_Why do you hate shorts?_

"It has to go past the knees or it just doesn't feel right." Kazuko said, pulling out a pair of pants and a shirt, "That's why all of the skirts I have go down to my ankles." She took off the clothes she had been wearing when she ran from the Urahara Shop and changed, sighing and enjoying the feel of her old clothes.

The front door opened and closed, making Kazuko turn quickly and drop to her knees.

"Kazu?" Jiro called, walking down the hall.

Jumping back to her feet, Kazuko put on a smile and skipped out of her room, pulling her younger brother into a hug. "Hey, Ji! Where's Ken?"

"Down the hall." Jiro rasped, poking her in the ribs, "Can you let me go? I can't breathe."

"Oh, right." She released him, smiling as he rubbed his throat, "Let's go to the living room, okay?" Kazuko grabbed his hand and dragged him down the hall, pulling her other brother into a hug when she ran into him.

"Kaz! Kaz! Can't… breathe!!"

"I know." Kazuko smiled, rubbing her cheek against the top of his head, "It's the love."

"Kazu!"

Giggling, she let her brothers go and flounced into the living room, plopping down on the sofa and calling her brothers, "Jiro! Kenji! Get in here, already!"

The two boys skulked into the room and flopped onto the ground in front of her, Jiro being the first to ask, "So, what were those things?"

"They're called Hollows." Kazuko asked, sobering immediately, "They're vengeful spirits of living creatures that refuse to pass on to the Soul Society."

"The Soul Society?"

"Where we go after we die." Kazuko frowned down at her brothers, "You can see them?"

Jiro nodded, Kenji saying, "Ever since you saved us that day in the cemetery."

She stared at them for a moment, then said, "Your spiritual powers are higher than most humans, then… You're in danger."

"Nah, we're good." Kenji waved her off, "The dudes in the black robes come and save us most of the time, but we pretend like we can't see them."

"That's good." Kazuko nodded. She paused, then said, "Hey, you guys need some way to contact me in case things go wrong."

"We got your old cell phone." Kenji said, jumping to his feet and running to the other room.

"Auntie never deactivated it?"

Jiro shrugged, "We use it every now and then."

Kenji ran back in, holding out a small black and blue cell phone. "Here you go."

Kazuko took the phone, staring at her brothers. She had expected them to move on, but… it still shocked her. "I'm sorry if I intruded…"

The boys sighed, Kenji smacking her on the back of the head, "Quit being dumb, Kazuko, you aren't intruding!"

"We just knew you were alright." Jiro smiled, "So we didn't worry. Now," He stood, crossing his arms and frowning, "Do you have somewhere to stay? Or are you not taking care of yourself?"

"I'm willing to bet the latter." Kenji smirked mischievously, "She never was too bright."

Kazuko twitched, smiling widely as she smacked her brothers across the backs of their heads, "Show your older sister some respect, eh?! I'm fine!" She paused, laughing nervously, "Actually, I have some friends who are probably worried about me."

"Then go to them, idiot!" Jiro smacked her back, "Don't be a burden and make them worry. Take some clothes with you, while you're at it. Why pay for what you already have enough of? Oh, and while your at it, take some Tupperware's of Aunties cheese, lemon, and strawberry cakes."

A few moments later Kazuko was loaded with plastic bags and Tupperware, a cell phone in her pocket and her zanpakuto strapped to her back.

"Good luck, sis!" Her brothers waved her off, "Come back some time! And don't worry about Auntie; we'll come up with a good lie for the cell phone and the Tupperware!"

On the roof, Kazuko took a moment to comfortably situate the items in her arms before she took off.

'Will the door… be open?' She shuddered, not liking the possibilities.

_You were rather irrational before you left._ Hayajihime said, _They might—_

"Can we please not worry about 'might' right now? I'm already nauseated enough."

A short while later she was standing in front of the building, looking at the ground. Sighing, she looked up at the door.

It was closed.


	24. Hollowification

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Amalia) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

(Hollowification)

Kazuko sighed, turning to walk away when a voice stopped her.

"Giving up that easily, are you?"

Gasping, she turned to face a smirking Kensei, perched on top of a crate.

"We couldn't just leave the door open after you left." He shrugged, "It was letting in a draft." Jumping to his feet, Kensei turned his body towards the door but kept one eye on her, "You coming?"

Kazuko nodded, smiling widely. "Yeah!" 'They're letting me come back… They're really letting me come back!'

"Oh, you again?" Hiyori asked when Kazuko and Kensei walked in, glaring at the brunette, "I thought you were gone for good?"

"I'm sorry for my actions." Kazuko muttered, bowing to the now staring vizard and holding out the three large Tupperware's of food, "I brought cake as an of—" Kazuko was then staring at her empty hands, blinking when she saw the vizard had gathered and were hunched over the plastic boxes.

"You're forgiven!" Shinji said brightly, shoving a square of cake into his mouth.

"Where'd you go?" Hiyori asked, smacking Shinji upside the head and taking the Tupperware away from him so she could stuff her face. "I thought you were just going to save them."

Kazuko laughed nervously, scratching the back of her head, "I was, but then I ended up going back home with them and getting a few supplies."

Hiyori stopped eating, turning eerily slow to stare at her, "Like?"

"Oh, the usual." Kazuko waved her off nonchalantly. "Clothes, cake… a cell phone…"

"What was that last part?" The angry blonde girl growled.

"They have above average spiritual pressure, alright?" Kazuko wined, slouching, "I just want to make sure they have me as an emergency contact if they need it!" At that moment, the phone began to ring and vibrate, making Kazuko whip it out immediately and hold it up to her ear, "Kenji, what—?! …Kenji, this phone is to only be used for emergencies, so why are you calling me if nothing's wrong?… Kenji, this is hardly— Fine. …Who's there? …Dwayne, who?... Oh, yeah, 'Dwayne the tub, I'm dwowning.' That's real witty, Ken. Is that all? …Yeah, okay, later. Love ya. Bye." She hung up the phone, looking at the others and laughing nervously, "Hehe… knock knock jokes…"

"Emergencies only, eh?" Lisa asked, quirking a cynical brow.

Kazuko laughed nervously a moment longer, then caught sight of the elliptical trainer and ran over to it, jumping in and 'running' as fast as she could.

The vizard just rolled their eyes and turned back to the cake.

* * *

"How long's she been going at it?" Shinji asked, yawning and picking the inside of his ear with his pinky nail.

"Six days, now." Love answered, shaking his head, "I thought her zanpakuto said she wasn't strong?"

"I think she meant physical." Shinji said, looking at Kazuko, who wasn't listening and staring ahead determinedly with focused, small green eyes. "Physical and spiritual are two different kinds of energies, even if they are connected. Kazuko sucks at zanjutsu, but she's fairly proficient at kido. Apparently, she also has stores of reiatsu she doesn't know about."

"Then why does she collapse after she uses a mid-level kido?" Love asked.

Shinji shrugged, "She probably doesn't know how to channel her energy properly. She's been getting along fine enough without it, so it was never necessary for her to learn." He paused, then frowned, "Either that, or her inner Hollow has an irrational amount of energy."

"I see." Love nodded, paused, then lowered his voice, "Shinji, have you noticed that her Hollow is…" He trailed off.

"Odd?" Shinji nodded, flaxen eyebrows furrowing, "Yeah. We'll ask her about it as soon as she collapses."

As if on cue, Kazuko went limp and pitched to the side, pulling the elliptical trainer down on top of her as she crashed to the ground.

Shinji and Love stared at her for a moment, then moved her to the sofa and called the others.

Once Kazuko began to stir and woke up, the questions started.

"Good job on lasting so long." Shinji began, standing at the foot of the sofa and staring down at her, "But now I have to ask you a few questions before we get started on the third phase. Was your Hollow self woken before you came into contact with the Orb of Distortion?"

"Yes." Kazuko nodded, "Several years ago, when I was still alive, my classmates and I were in an accident. The bus we were in was tipped, the driver and the teacher in charge died, and the rest of us were severely injured. Me and several others survived, but that was the night it woke."

"So you nearly became a Hollow." Shinji guessed, frowning, "That would mean that your Chain of Fate would have had to have been severed."

"It was." Kazuko nodded, again, "I died in the accident, as well, but then Captain Mayuri came and… preformed an experiment on me." She lowered her eyes before going on, "He asked me… if I wanted to live. I said yes, because the pain in my chest was… unbearable…" Kazuko hid her face and clenched her hands, "He… he took a link from my friend's Chain of Fate and used it to bind me back to my body."

Everything was silent.

Quietly, Hachi asked, "Your friend… she was becoming a Hollow while all of this was happening, wasn't she?"

Kazuko sobbed, nodding, "My decision… made it impossible to save her. She became a Hollow, then got away before Captain Mayuri and Nemu could kill her."

"And your Hollow's voice," Hachi went on, even quieter than before, "It's the voice of your friend, isn't it?"

Hugging herself, Kazuko whispered, "Yes."

"That bastard!" Hiyori screamed, her sclera turning black, "Why do they keep making allowances for him?!"

"Because he's a genius." Kazuko muttered, hugging herself tighter. She then brightened in a second and jumped off of the sofa, "Third phase now, right?" She then started marching around the room, chanting "Third phase" over and over.

The vizard stared at her, Rose sighing after a moment, "She keeps up quite the façade, doesn't she?"

"That's one well-built wall she has." Love nodded.

"Fine, we'll start phase three." Shinji snapped, "Just quit dancing!"

Kazuko froze, her hands over her head and one foot in the air.

Shinji sighed and shook his head, then walked to Kazuko and held his palm out in front of her face.

"Hey, Kazuko?"

She blinked, tilting her head, "Yes, Mr. Shinji?"

He sighed, "Don't die."

She felt something slam into her brain without touching her skull, her motor skills failed her, and everything went—

* * *

Blue.

Lots and lots of blue.

Lots and lots of different shades, hues, and variations of blue, from blue grey to a blue so deep it was almost black.

Blue everywhere.

And air.

There was lots of air.

If you asked her, Kazuko wouldn't be able to explain how she knew there was _lots_ of _air_, but breathing in the air smelled better, richer, and thicker. She thought that, if she were to take one breath and hold it, she could refrain from breathing for minutes, hours on end. The air even _tasted_ good.

But she couldn't see anything.

Then, she realized, she had her eyes closed.

Kazuko opened her eyes and was nearly blinded by blue, which was shining so brightly she could apparently see it through her eyelids.

"Wow, that is _blue_!"

"Kazuko?"

Suddenly, the blue came crashing down and the area above her turned black, dotted with small, flickering white lights. Looking down, Kazuko found herself standing on air, above a sea of clouds. As her eyes slowly traveled up, the clouds gave way to a thin layer of soft sky blue, which then gave way to the blackness of space, a thin sliver of the grey crescent moon overlapping the blue and the black.

"Where… am I?"

"Somewhere near your soul's depiction of the Kármán line." Kazuko turned, blinking at Hayajihime, who shrugged, "It's the line that's been accepted as the international standard for where the atmosphere ends and outer space begins. I like it here because the surroundings are nice and still, and everything is almost always peaceful."

Kazuko frowned, "I thought that the air got thinner the further you got away from Earth?"

Hayajihime quirked a brow, "I said it was your soul's depiction, I never said your soul was correct." Hayajihime then frowned, herself, "What are you doing in my realm?"

"Third phase of vizard training." Kazuko answered immediately, "Though I don't really know what I'm supposed to do…"

Hayajihime shrugged, her navy hair rippling, "Oh, well if you're here for that, then you have to fight your inner Hollow."

Kazuko blinked, "What?"

"I said you have to fight me."

"…No you didn't. You said I have to fight my inner Hollow."

Hayajihime nodded, "Who is me." Seeing Kazuko's confusion, Hayajihime sighed, "Kazuko, this is a… very difficult concept to explain, mainly because of the confusion between mind, body, soul, spirit, and science, but I'll state it as plainly as I can, even if I am butchering the concept." She paused, "Imagine yourself having… two kinds of magic in your body; black and white. Good and bad. I am the good magic, the white. But, there is another side of me, the bad; the black magic." She shrugged, "It's somewhat like Yin and Yang, only the two occupy the same body of existence."

"So… you and the Hollow… are the same person? Only she's like your evil twin?"

Hayajihime pinched the bridge of her nose, "Yes, if you wish to use that analogy. But, Kazuko," The zanpakuto turned serious, "She is far different from me. When you meet her… just… be careful, alright? Because, and don't forget this, she is not of you. She was spliced into your very soul."

Kazuko thought, then nodded, "Alright."

Hayajihime nodded back, then closed her eyes and began to change. Her navy blue hair began to shorten and lighten, taking a metallic shine. Her already pale skin turned alabaster white, and her facial features became sharper, more defined. Then, her clothes began to change, taking a more modern-day Earth look, and soon Kazuko was looking at an older, pale-skinned and blue-haired version of her dead friend, Alexis.

Alexis's eyes snapped open, revealing the black sclera and the gold irises. She sneered and crossed one arm over her stomach, the other settling on the hilt of the sword at her side.

"What in the fuck are you doing here?" Her voice was deep and raspy, completely unlike the old Alexis.

Kazuko lowered her eyes, chewing on her bottom lip nervously and settling a tense hand on her zanpakuto, "I'm here… because I want to use your powers… whenever I need them."

"So, you're here to beat me into submission? Hah!" Alexis let out a scratchy, short, forced laugh, "As if you could, Kazuko. You don't have the fucking nerve to, especially not with your precious Haya to help you."

Kazuko's hand tightened on her zanpakuto.

Alexis smirked, "Oh, that? Well, let's have a look-see, shall we?" She removed the katana from her side and held it out, revealing a look-alike of Hayajihime, with differences in the color scheme, the green replaced with red and the gold with cyan.

"Well, waddya know?" Alexis rasped mockingly, drawing the blood-colored blade. "Looks like we both have a little Haya on our sides." She smirked, dropping into an offensive stance and holding out her blade in front of her, "I'll let you in on a little secret, Kazuko: This is going to be fun."

* * *

The vizard stared at the Hollow in front of them, shocked.

Large, wing-like blades had sprung from Kazuko's back, arcing out and down to skim the ground. Her feet had formed into talons and her hands had turned pointed and two-dimensional. Her body had become lithe and flat, so that she had absolutely no physical features whatsoever and it was difficult to tell where her joints where. On her face, the curve-beaked mask had fully formed, and two, thick blue lines ran from the cheeks of the mask and down the front of the body, ending at the crevices between the two dual-taloned feet.

The appearance of the Hollow wasn't what had shocked them, though. It was the time.

"How long's it been?" Shinji muttered to Kensei.

Kensei, not having to look down at the stopwatch, muttered back, "Two minutes. This transformation… is happening too fast."

In Hachi's barrier, the bird-Hollow threw its head back and let out a screeching roar.

* * *

Dear Readers:

Okay, so my friend catharsis25 has recently asked me if I could somehow produce images if Kazuko's Hollow form, and I totally agree. THAT WOULD BE EFFING SWEET!

...Sadly, I can't draw worth shit, and the only people I'm really in close contact with right now are my grandparents and the people I work with, so, as you can imagine, I don't really know anyone who could draw them for me.

So... I was thinking... does anyone out there want to do a drawing? ...Can I even ask that? Is it impolite or against internet ethics somehow? ...I really wouldn't know; I'm socially retarded.

Anyway, it was just a thought... As I side note, my grandparents and I are going up to the mountains again (as you can tell, we like the mountains), where we're going to be staying in a cabin where I will partake in eating my birthday cheesecake, playing videogames, and watching movies that range from Gattaca to Attonement to Logan's Run (I know; odd combination, right?).

Anyway, I know a lot of you probably don't care, but this means I may or may not have internet access (my laptop's built-in wireless can be a real bitch sometimes). So, if I don't have wireless, I'll probably post a few new chapters when I get back. If I do, then I may or may not post them while I'm there. It depends on if I can drag myself away from my Playstation long enough to write (which I ususally can).

Well, no matter how things may work out, I'll miss you, write for you, and think about you every waking moment I'm gone!! ...Not seriously, but I will write for you.

Have a good weekend!

Rayna


	25. Failed Bankai

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Amalia) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

(Failed Bankai)

"Lisa, pull out!" Hiyori shouted, running through the gap Hachi had made in the barrier and drawing her zanpakuto.

Lisa quickly complied, sheathing her blade and collapsing onto the ground once she was out. "How long… was I in there?!" She gasped, turning to Kensei, who held the stopwatch.

Kensei shook his head, "Not even six minutes." He looked at Lisa, frowning, "What exactly are her powers like? She didn't seem that fast…"

Lisa shook her head, "It's not speed she has." She dropped onto the ground, moaning slightly and clutching her head, "It's her reiatsu. It's… volatile. It's like it moves independently of her, forming some kind of shield around her. And she keeps using that 'Kamaitachi' ."

"Wasn't her zanpakuto supposed to be helping us?" Rose asked, frowning.

"For all we know, she could be." Shinji muttered, chewing on his thumbnail. "We have no idea what's going on in her head."

"Isn't she fighting her inner Hollow?" Kuna asked, tilting her head.

Shinji rolled his eyes, "I mean specifically. For all we know, they could be engaged in a fierce two-on-one battle."

* * *

"Kazuko, Alexis, you're supposed to be fighting!"

"Shut up, Haya, I'm winning!" Kazuko shouted, jumping back and forth on her dance pad. "Who knew I could create a game of DDR in my soul?!"

"It's your soul." Alexis answered, spinning around, "You can do whatever in the hell you want to. And you are so not winning this game!"

"Yes I am!"

"No you aren't!"

"Yes!"

"No!"

"Hello!" Hayajihime screamed, "Earth to morons! You're supposed to hate each other right now! Alexis, you think Kazuko betrayed you; and Kazuko, Alexis wants to kill you!"

The two stopped dancing, the DDR, Playstation and television set disappearing.

"Killjoy." Kazuko muttered.

"She's right." Alexis picked up the dark Hayajihime, drawing the blade and grinning sinisterly, "We are supposed to be fighting."

Taking a stumbling step back, Kazuko drew her sword and held it up, "Hayajihime, dance in the wind!" The blade changed into a tessen, which she snapped open and swung, jumping back and shouting, "Kamaitachi!"

Alexis dodged easily, flashing out of sight completely.

Kazuko froze, eyes darting nervously. Then, there was a slight pressure on her neck and an arm wrapped around her shoulders, pinning her arms against her body.

"Kazuko," Alexis chuckled, "You call that a 'Kamaitachi'? That's pathetic. How about I show you a real 'Kamaitachi'?"

Then, the pressure around her shoulders and the blade against her throat disappeared. Within a second, a major burst of pressure bashed against her back and she felt something warm and wet spread down her lower back and legs, seeping into her shoes.

Once the initial shock had worn off and the pain began to sink in, Kazuko turned slowly and stared at Alexis with wide eyes, her mouth opening slightly and blood dribbling out.

"Still up?" Alexis frowned, "I must've held back slightly… that should have severed you in half." She paused, then smirked, "Oh, well. Looks like we'll get to play a bit longer."

"Kazuko, act!"

Reacting instantly, Kazuko ducked and rolled, screaming when she rolled across the gash in her back.

"Get to your feet!"

Kazuko crouched, holding out her sword arm and pushing herself up with her free arm.

"Now, attack!"

She lunged forward, arm swinging and bladed tessen flashing. Alexis held up her arm to parry, blocking and holding back effortlessly. The Hollow sneered down at the soul.

"Push, damn it! Put your back into it!"

"Shut up, Haya!" Kazuko roared, her lips slick with blood and her chin crusting over with crimson. Biting her lip against the pain, she swung her arm forward fully, twisting her wrist so her tessen slid free from Alexis' sword.

Another half rotation of her wrist and the bladed edge was slicing upward. Alexis' head jerked up and her sword flashed out, catching Kazuko in the shoulder and knocking her back with a blast of kido.

Flying backwards, Kazuko arched into the air shortly before she crashed into the invisible ground, leaving a long bloodstain that shone bright against the whiteness of the clouds as she skidded backwards.

With a groan, Kazuko rolled onto her stomach and lifted her head, staring at Alexis and clenching her tessen tightly.

Alexis' head was still flung backwards, her chin pointing to space. Slowly against the bone-white flesh, a red line began to form, widening and leaking red. Her head slowly righted until she was staring back at Kazuko, blood dripping from her chin and gold irises flashing.

"That, Kazuko," She breathed, "Was a big mistake."

* * *

Kazuko-Hollow suddenly stopped fighting, dropping her sword and grabbing her head.

Swearing, Hiyori pulled her zanpakuto back from the trust she had thrown at the last second, but was only able to stop it from delivering a directly fatal blow to the heart. It still sank into Kazuko-Hollow's chest, emerging with spurting blood on the other side.

"Kuruyaki?!" Hiyori shouted, pulling out her zanpakuto and jumping back.

But Kazuko-Hollow didn't respond; she hadn't even responded to being stabbed. Instead, her fingers whitened as her grip on her head tightened and she threw her head back, a screeching roar exploding from her beaked jaws.

Even from outside of the barrier, the vizard felt Kazuko-Hollow's reiatsu spike, and inside Hiyori frowned, not seriously affected but seriously disturbed.

"Shinji, what the hell is going on here?" She called out.

"No clue." Shinji called back, "Wait and see."

Blood flowed from the wound on Kazuko-Hollow's chest for a few more seconds before it healed over. Still, her clawed hands dug into her scalp as she continued screeching, blood running down her arms and dripping onto the ground. Beside her, Hayajihime began to glow intensely.

"Is she…" Hiyori frowned, "Is she about to learn bankai?"

"In two years?" Shinji frowned, as well, "I guess the zanpakuto wasn't kidding, was she?" He paused, then said, "Hiyori, get out of there."

Hiyori paused, then turned and ran to the barrier, ducking out of the hole Hachi made for her then spinning around and plopping down onto the ground.

"No one go in there." Shinji ordered, turning to Kensei, "What's the time?"

"Fifteen minutes." Kensei answered, glancing down at the stopwatch, "Learning to control her Hollow _and_ bankai? Her zanpakuto is a real slave driver, isn't she?"

"Kazuko!"

The vizard turned back to the shield, where Kazuko-Hollow had stopped clutching her head and screaming and was now staring ahead, holding Hayajihime once again.

"I think it's about time you and I had a _real_ heart-to-heart." The creature growled, raising the sword and ramming it through its chest. It screeched, then pitched forward and passed out.

The vizard stared at the scene for a moment, Hiyori asking, "Well… now what?"

* * *

"Kazuko."

Kazuko opened her eyes, finding herself floating in white-spotted black.

"Why do I always wake up floating? Floating sucks."

"Well, maybe if your soul wasn't the scion of wind, you wouldn't have this problem."

Kazuko flipped around, glaring at Hayajihime, "Well, it's not like _I_ picked you, ya know. I much prefer dirt to wind. At least you can grow pretty flowers in dirt."

Hayajihime smacked her forehead and growled, "Let's just move on, shall we? You know, you're getting your ass kicked."

"I am?" Kazuko blinked in confusing, glancing over her shoulder at her posterior.

"Not here, you idiot!" Hayajihime shouted, pointing down, "Down there!"

They both looked down, where Alexis was repeatedly stabbing an unconscious… Kazuko?

"I have a twin?" Kazuko frowned, "Shoot… Now I have to share everything…"

Hayajihime sighed, "No, moron, that's you."

"It is?"

"Yes," The zanpakuto incarnate nodded, "I borrowed your consciousness for a moment."

Kazuko turned to Hayajihime, blinking, "So… while we're up here talking… my soul is getting its butt kicked?"

Hayajihime blinked. "Yes."

"Send me back before I get killed!" Kazuko shouted, flipping over and trying to swim back to her soul.

"Respect your master!" Hayajihime snapped, reaching out and smacking Kazuko upside the head, "I'm going to help you defeat her!"

"Fat lota good that'll do us if she kills me first!"

"Look," The zanpakuto growled, grabbing the back of Kazuko's collar and yanking her up so that they met face-to-face. "I'm going to show you how to beat her, but you have to pay attention, alright?" Hayajihime placed her hand on Kazuko's forehead, something cold and sleek sliding into the human's mind. "Do you feel that? When you get back into your soul form, look for this energy. This is the one advantage you have over her. But you have to be quick; she'll learn it right after you do."

"Fine, whatever." Kazuko sighed, "Just send be back before there's no body to inhabit."

Hayajihime scowled, then pulled her hand back a bit, her arm tensing before her palm shot forward, slamming into Kazuko's forehead.

Kazuko felt like she had just spun around on a parallel bar, her world inverting and spinning backwards. Then, she rammed into something and pain bloomed all over her body, as if she had been stabbed by millions of large steak knives.

"You back, Kaz?" Alexis rasped into her ear, kneeling over Kazuko's prone, bleeding form. "What happened? Did you and Haya have a little conference?"

"We did." Kazuko hissed, reaching into her mind and looking for the cold, sleep energy. It rose to meet her, and when it did she experienced a spike in her reiatsu.

Alexis jumped back in an attempt to avoid it, but was caught up in the initial shockwave and sent careening through the air, slamming down a moment later. Coughing, she pushed herself to her hands and knees and looked at Kazuko, smirking when she found her standing and holding her zanpakuto.

"Learn something while you were gone?" Alexis laughed, standing and grabbing her shadow zanpakuto, the same reiatsu that grew in Kazuko growing in her, "Looks like I am, too."

"Yeah, but not fast enough." Her arms shaking with her pain, Kazuko held up her sword as best she could, "Dance in the wind, Hayajihime." Once the blade had shattered and reformed itself into its tessen shikai, Kazuko flicked it open then snapped it shut, holding it closed with both hands.

"Bird of blood, feast upon the carrion of this battlefield and sate your hunger! Shiraku-Onmoraki Hayajihime!"

The blood that drenched Kazuko's arms slowly began to work its way up her arms and over her hands, covering Hayajihime. Blood that had been spilt elsewhere began to conjugate to the tessen, swirling and forming a bloody tornado. In her hands, Kazuko's tessen shikai exploded, the blood swirling up to join the rest of the tornado.

Kazuko looked up, watching as a black, bird-like form began to take shape in the center of the vortex.

"BANKAI?!" She heard Alexis screech, "THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE!!"

Before the bird could completely form, though, Kazuko felt her energy run out and the world around her began to haze. The bird screeched once, then burst, blood raining down.

Kazuko fell back, Alexis hissing as her vision faded, "Fine. Since you have more power than I do, I suppose I have no choice but to bend. Keep on your toes, though… I'll be waiting for my chance."

* * *

"Sounds like your bankai either needs a helluva lota blood or a few dead bodies laying about in order to properly charge." Shinji observed as he and the other vizard watched Kazuko dig into a turkey sandwich, her wounds bandaged and her appetite in a state of ravenous insatiability.

"Fafs nish."

Shinji rolled his eyes.

"Swallow!" Lisa snapped, slapping Kazuko over the back of the head, forcing Kazuko to first swallow, then choke.

Sighing, Rose punched Kazuko in the back, making the hunk of sandwich lodged in her throat go down the rest of the way.

Kazuko sucked in a lungful of air, dropping her sandwich and fall forward off of the couch, clutching her chest.

The vizard sighed, watching in mixed annoyance and amusement as Kazuko rolled around on the floor of the warehouse.

"So, she almost made bankai." Love said, crossing his arms.

"Yes," Lisa nodded, "But the attempt was a failure. She lost momentum before it was complete and it died."

Kensei shrugged, "Still, it's fairly impressive. Did you see that bird?"

"How impressive it is hardly matters." Hiyori scoffed, rolling her eyes when Kazuko began coughing, "That kind of zanpakuto takes malice to wield. Malice she doesn't have. She'll never be able to use it right."

Shinji shrugged, "At least she has that bitchy hollow of hers under control, now."

"The fuck did you say, fuckface?!"

The vizard turned, their eyes wide when they saw Kazuko-Hollow glaring at them. Then, just as quickly as it came, it died, and Kazuko was looking at them with a huge smile on her face.

"I like tacos!"

Shinji twitched, "Someone knock her out."

"Gladly." Hiyori chucked her sandal at Kazuko's head, hitting her forehead and knocking her backwards. Kazuko stumbled, fell, and slammed her head into the wall.

The vizard stared at the unconscious Kazuko.

"Why do we keep her around?"

"Because her body houses a destructive power the likes of which the human world has no defense against."

"Oh… do we really have to keep her?"

"…Yes."

"…Can't we just—"

"No."

"…I'm still slipping Nyquil into her food."


	26. Camping Trip Gone Awry

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Amalia) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

Okay, so basically, thus was my first attempt at a filler, and it sucked, big time. It was painful to write this, it sucked so bad. But, I'm putting it up, anyway, so that you guys at least have something. I promise, the next one won't suck as bad as this.

Okay, so for the scary story at the end, here's some info on it: It's a Pennsylvanian folk tale, so I guess if it belongs to anyone... it belongs to the rich history of Pennsylvania. To any Pennsylvanians out there who find this either totally offensive or completely off the mark, I am sorry... (lowers head in shame) Forgive me.

(Camping Trip Gone Awry)

"We're doing what now?" Hiyori asked, raising a skeptical brow.

Kazuko and Kuna smiled, both raising their fists into the air and shouting, at the same time, "We're going camping!"

"No, we're not."

Kazuko and Kuna deflated, staring at Shinji in defeat, "Oooohh… Why not?"

Shinji shrugged, "What would be the point?"

"Family bonding time!" Kazuko and Kuna shouted in unison.

"Okay," Hiyori glared, "Stop with the unison thing."

"But it's fun!" Kazuko and Kuna said, smiling. They then held out their arms and started walking to Hiyori, "Join us, Hiyori, join us."

"Get the fuck away from me!" Hiyori shouted, jumping into the air and landing on one of the broken floors several stories up.

Sighing irritably, Lisa stormed over to the united entity of Kazuko and Kuna and smacked them both over their heads, separating their minds, "Stop it. Now, if we go camping, will you to calm down for a few days?"

"Yep!" "You betcha!" When they realized their answers were different, Kazuko and Kuna pouted, "Awwwww…" Then, realizing that their new last exclamation was in unison, they smiled and cheered, "Yes!"

"Stop!" Shinji smacked them again, though this time they went flying, both to opposite sides of the room. He then frowned at Lisa, "So now we're going?"

Lisa shrugged, "If it will get them to shut up for a while, why not?"

"Besides," Kensei threw in his two cents, "It'll be nice to get out."

The other vizard with the exception of Hiyori mumbled their varying agreements.

Shinji sighed, then turned to Kazuko and frowned, "Do you actually have any ideas as to where we'll be going?"

Kazuko jumped to her feet and smiled, pulling a piece of folded paper out of her pocket, "Travel itinerary, coming up!"

The 'travel itinerary' was actually a map of the woods just outside Karakura, a penned-in trail starting at the edge of the forest just near the warehouse and ending a few miles in.

"We'll be packing in near a creek," Kazuko said, suddenly serious, "It'll take us about five hours to get from here," She pointed to the first dot, at the edge of the forest, "To here." She pointed to the final dot, next to the mentioned creek that ran through the forest. "A lot of the walk will be uphill, so we're going to want to distribute the packing weight evenly. Everyone should pack good outdoor clothes, mainly shirts and pants, as well as a comfortable pair of walking shoes. I'll handle the other supplies and the food.

"Now, the first two hours of the walk will be spent getting us from here," She pointed, once again, to the starting dot, "To here." She pointed to a new dot, about three quarters of the way to the camping dot. "We'll rest for an hour, then work on getting to the camping spot."

Shinji blinked, "Will it really take us two hours to cover that last little leg? Can't we just go in one shot?"

"There's an elevation change here." Kazuko said, pointing to the resting dot, "It's a steep hill that'll take us a while to climb."

The room was silent as everyone walked over to study the map.

"…You've done this before." Kensei said.

Kazuko smiled up at him, "My grandpa and I did a lot of camping together during his last years." She then threw her hands into the air, "Alright, everyone! Get your stuff together while I go get supplies!" She then ran out of the warehouse.

It was only when she was nearing the markets that she realized that she had no money whatsoever.

"…Curses."

"Finally realized your first big mistake?"

Kazuko spun around, laughing sheepishly and waving to Kensei. "Hi. Yes, I did."

Kensei sighed and rolled his eyes, "Let's go, then." He brushed passed her, walking into the first grocery store he came up to.

Kazuko followed him in, grabbing a basket and moving down the isles one by one, grabbing what they needed when she saw it. By the time they were at the register, Kensei was glaring between the mountain of items in the cart and her, grumbling and pulling out his wallet.

"Is all of this really necessary?" He asked when they walked out, him being the only one loaded with bags.

"I thought I'd get a few things for the kitchen while we were already there." Kazuko shrugged, then smiled, "Next, to find sleeping bags!"

Kensei groaned, 'Damn it, why me?'

* * *

Shinji stared at the mountain of bags Kensei was carrying when he and Kazuko returned, then rounded on her and screamed, "How much did you spend?!"

"Lots." Kazuko chuckled, her laugh gradually turning into an evil, maniacal cackle as she arched her back and raised her hands to the ceiling, "Lots and lots of cash! Bwahaha!"

"Cash that you're going to reimburse us for." Shinji growled, glaring, "You're getting a job when we get back."

"Mrow," Kazuko sulked, "Okay."

"Now," Shinji sighed, crossing his arms and looking around the room at the others, "Are we ready?"

The vizard grumbled and Kazuko brightened, picking up the backpack she had packed the night before and pumping a fist into the air. "Let's Go!"

And so, the vizard followed Kazuko out of the warehouse and into the forest, trusting her to lead them true.

They aren't too bright, are they?

* * *

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN WE'RE LOST?! WHERE'S YOUR MAP?!"

"Hehe," Kazuko scratched the back of her head sheepishly as Hiyori bore down on her, "Lost?"

Hiyori twitched, "YOU LOST THE MAP?!"

"Noooooo," Kazuko wined, crouching and covering her head, "I left it on the sofa back at the warehouse…"

Hiyori twitched again, then screamed and delivered a strong uppercut to Kazuko, who flew up and disappeared with a ping and a flash of light into the sky.

The other vizard stood back and watched this, their heads tilting back as Kazuko shot into the air until she was out of sight.

Shinji sighed, glancing at Lisa, "Why did we come again?"

Lisa just shook her head irritably.

After a few moments, Kazuko fell back down, screaming, and crashed into the ground.

"Owie, owie, owie, owie, owie!" She wined as she pushed herself to her knees, wincing. She then looked at Hiyori and stuck out her lower lip, her eyes droopy.

"Quit looking like a kicked dog and get us out of here!" Hiyori growled, yanking off her sandal and smacking Kazuko upside the head.

Kazuko shied away, then stood and walked over to a tree, proceeding to climb it.

"What is she doing?" Rose blinked.

"Probably getting a better view." Love suggested, shrugging.

Two minutes later, they could no longer hear or see Kazuko.

Three minutes later, she hadn't come back.

Five minutes later, Hiyori began to get irritated.

Ten minutes later, the rest of the vizard started to get annoyed.

Twelve minutes later, Shinji groaned and 'air-walked' to the tops of the trees.

The vizard waited, each taking a step back when the tree branches above broke, Kazuko crashing to the ground a moment later.

"… OWIEEEEEEEEEEE!" She cried out a prolonged moment later.

Shinji dropped out of the treetops, landing on her back. He jerked his thumb over his shoulder and said, "Town's in that direction. We can be there in two hours if we get going now."

"Mrow." Kuna slumped, pouting, "But we were gonna have so much fun…"

"c…c-can't… breathe…" Kazuko rasped.

Ignoring her, Shinji frowned at Kuna, "We really don't have time for this, Kuna. We have to—"

"What?" Kuna pressed, crossing her arms and frowning, "We have to sulk in the gloomy warehouse? Well, I don' wanna! I wanna stay out here, in the forest, for a few days!"

"…still… not… breathing!"

"Kuna, we don't know where we are!" Shinji exclaimed, exasperated.

"Ohhhh, we don't know where we are." Kuna rolled her eyes, "And we also aren't vizard, and we can't easily flash step out to the top of the trees and out of here if we need to."

"Kuna," Kensei growled, warningly, "Don't push it."

"But it's not faaaaaair!" Kuna wined, falling on her back and throwing a tantrum.

"…world…growing…cold…"

Hiyori looked down at Kazuko, her face the epitome of disinterest, "So, it's okay to kill her, now?"

Shinji blinked, then looked down at Kazuko, who was turning blue. He stared at her for a moment, then stepped off of her upper back and back onto her lower back. There was a loud series of pops.

"Oooooooooooh!!" Kazuko moaned, slamming her head against the ground and laughing, "It hurts so good!"

"Eh!" Shinji jumped off of her back and away from her, frowning down at her.

"Kaz, get up!" Kuna shouted, jumping to her feet and pulling the young vizard to her feet, "We gotta take them to the campsite!"

"We aren't going!" Hiyori growled.

"Yes we are!" Kuna and Kazuko shouted, grabbing the short blonde by her arms and dragging her further into the forest, opposite the direction Shinji had said the town was in.

Shinji twitched, then ran after them, "GET BACK HERE!"

The other vizard watched them go, then sighed.

"We're going after them, then?" Lisa asked.

"Like we have anything better to do." Rose answered, shrugging.

Kensei growled, "I'll kill Kuna when we find her."

"So much violence." Hachi sighed, "Shouldn't we just go after them?"

They took off, easily catching up to the three ahead of them and pressing on when they did. They arrived at the clearing at two hours past midday, at which point Kazuko let go of Hiyori's arm and raised her arms over her head, "I claim this land in the name of Kazuko and Kuna! Let's get camp set up!"

They set about erecting three tents, one slightly larger than the other two for the four women.

As soon as everything was ready, Kazuko did what she always did when she had her grandfather had gone camping; she flopped down onto her sleeping bag and slept.

This left the rest of the vizard to their own devices, which left them in utter confusion.

"When's the last time any of us have been camping?" Shinji asked as they sat around a barren fire pit.

"Can't remember." Rose muttered, picking up stick and poking the nonexistent fire.

"…What're we supposed to do?" Shinji blinked, glancing over at Kazuko's tent.

Kazuko opened her eyes and sat up, shrugging, "I'm doing it." She then flopped back down onto her sleeping bag.

"But what about fishing?!" Hiyori shouted, "And campfires! And hiking! And swimming! And canoeing!"

Everyone, Kazuko included, turned slowly to look at the short, perpetually angry blonde.

"So… Hiyori," Shinji smirked, "You… like camping?"

"Shut up." She grumbled, crossing her arms over her stomach and staring at the non-burning flames. She then scowled and stood, walking over to a fallen, rotting tree and yanking several hunks off, angrily. When she had an armload, she stormed back to the fire pit and chucked the wood in, blasting it with a cero beam and starting a fire.

"Good going, Hiyori!" Kazuko was promptly smacked with a sandal.

"Get the graham crackers and chocolate." Hiyori grunted, sulking, "And you better have remembered the marshmallows. I want some friggin s'mores."

* * *

"Let's tell scary stories!" Kuna shouted when it was dark, her face covered in marshmallow and chocolate.

"Okay!" Kazuko smiled widely, then did a complete 180 and went completely deadpanned.

"She lurks below the surface of the lake near Presque Isle, her lithe form forever swimming through the weeds and the mire." Kazuko began dramatically, her voice low and raspy, "Pale and green of skin," She leaned in closer to the fire, her skin and eyes taking an inhuman glow, "Her yellow eyes shine luminously in the dark, and her thin long arms wrap themselves around the unwary," She reached out to her left and draped her arms around Shinji's neck, the man shuddering, twitching, and attempting to shy away, "While foul-green pointed teeth sink into soft flesh and sharp nails at the end of long bony fingers stroke you into the deepest sleep there is."

Kazuko ran her fingers along the side of Shinji's face, smirking as the others drew away from her and Shinji shuddered again, "She is called by many names, but to sailors of Lake Erie, she is known as the Storm Hag."

"Great going, Kuna," Kensei muttered, "You've gone and unleashed a demon."

"The creature is a sea witch," Kazuko rasped on, "An evil Jenny Greenteeth who summoned the storms and pulled shipwrecked sailors down into her evil embrace to live with her forever at the bottom of the lake."

Kazuko pulled away from Shinji, who scooted away immediately until he bumped into Hiyori, who was too busy staring at Kazuko with wide eyes to even elbow him.

"Sometimes" Kazuko went on, "She waits until the calm right after the storm to attack." She paused, then began to speak on, her voice raising as she continued, "When the sailors relax their guard, lulled into thinking that the danger had passed with the storm, the Storm Hag bursts forth from the dark waters of the lake!" She was shouting at this point, lunging to her feet and hovering over the fire, her arms outstretched, "Spewing forth lightening and wind like venom!" One twist of her ankle made sand spew into the fire, the flames crackling.

Kuna squeaked and reached to the side, latching onto Kensei, who wasn't moving at all.

"And the ship will vanish," Kazuko whispered, drawing back and sitting down, "Never to be seen again."

A log on the fire popped loudly, making the unsuspecting vizard gasp.

"There is only one warning before she strikes." Kazuko continued, mildly, after everyone had settled down, "If you listen closely, you can hear her singing against the harsh wind and the thrashing waves…" She lowered her voice and began to chant, waving her hands,

"Come into the water, love,

Dance beneath the waves,

Where dwell the bones of sailor-lads

Inside my saffron cave."

Kazuko paused again, then slumped forward and murmured, "If you can, flee immediately, for the Storm Hag is right beside you. If you cannot, then pray to your God for mercy, for the Storm Hag will grant you none." She maneuvered her feet underneath her, crouching slightly, "Her whirlpool will suck down your ship," She reached out again, wrapping her arms around Love, this time, rubbing her head up and down his arm, "And her long green arms will lovingly stroke you into the depths of the lake…"

Everyone leaned forward, except Love, who leaned back; waiting.

"Where she will feast on your body among the weeds!!" Someone shouted from the trees around the camp, the wind picking up and a long, drawn out female scream echoing through the forest.

Kuna screeched, Hiyori screamed, Shinji and Hachi yelped, Love and Rose froze, Lisa gasped and looked around, and Kensei pulled out his zanpakuto.

Kazuko screamed, and when everyone looked, her spot was vacant.

The wind picked up again a tall, lithe figure stepped out of the trees, gliding forward with thin arms raised and shadowed hair billowing out around them like a dark, unholy halo.

No exception, all of the vizard screamed.

Then, quite abruptly, the wind died and the dark woman dropped to her knees, laughing. Another figure emerged from the trees, doubled over with laughter.

Gritting his teeth, Kensei pulled out a flashlight and shone in on the two figures, revealing Kazuko and Hayajihime.

"WHAT THE HELL, KAZUKO?!" Shinji screeched, jumping to his feet and storming over to her, "WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!"

Kazuko could only giggle as he picked her up by the collar of her shirt, "You're only sore 'cause it scared you!" She then looked at her zanpakuto, smiling widely, "Great timing, Haya!"

Hayajihime shook her head, covering her mouth with one hand and waving the group off with the other when they glared at her, "Forgive me, but I couldn't help it!"

"Oh," Shinji twitched, "We'll forgive you." He then cuffed Kazuko over the back of her head, knocking her out, resulting in Hayajihime dissipating. Thoroughly incensed, the then tossed Kazuko into the tent and stalked back over to the fire, plopping down and crossing his arms.

The area was silent for a moment, then a timid Kuna held out a box of graham crackers, "S'mores?"


	27. The Way the Warehouse Saw It

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Amalia) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

'Surfin' Bird' belongs to whoever bought the rights from The Trashmen, and I highly doubt anyone would buy the rights to 'The Birdie Song', so that belongs to The Tweets. In other words, neither song belongs to me. Oh, and the 'Peanut Butter Jelly Song' isn't mine, either.

(The Way the Warehouse Saw It)

Having been home to the vizard for many years, the warehouse was used to being witness to odd events, but when a tattered and disheveled Kazuko stumbled out of the forest and collapsed on the ground, retching, the warehouse was just downright disturbed.

Her clothes were ripped in various places, she was covered in scratches, and she was covered in some thick, red liquid, most of it centered around her mouth.

She looked like she had just drank a tub load of blood.

As she lay retching, the rest of the vizard walked out of the forest and headed to the warehouse, only Rose stopping long enough to look down at her and shake his head.

"We told you not to eat those berries, so we feel no sympathy for you for not listening."

Kazuko moaned, rolling onto her back and gagging.

Hachi, who couldn't stand watching her suffer, knelt beside her and pressed his hand against her forehead, using a low-level kido and healing her.

Kazuko jumped to her feet, performed a cartwheel, then squealed with joy an ran to the warehouse, where she waited for Hachi to open the barrier before running in.

Had the warehouse had a face, it would have winced when Kazuko ran in, but it stuck with trying to send out a bad aura at her, hoping she would sense it.

Apparently, she did.

The warehouse was surprised when Kazuko stopped as soon as it started sending out the aura, her head tilting up to stare at the area among the rafters with wide eyes.

"Kazu?" The one the warehouse knew as Kuna asked, "What's wrong?"

"The warehouse doesn't like me." Kazuko muttered, pouting.

Kuna, who was usually the odd one, stared at Kazuko like she had three heads, "Riiiiight…"

"Neeeeeeehhhhh." Kazuko moaned, flopping down onto the ground and staring at the ceiling, "What'd I do to you, warehouse?"

The warehouse was, of course, unable to answer, and even if it had been it wouldn't have tried, because it knew Kazuko would talk to it nonstop.

So, the warehouse stuck with being happy it had no vocal cords and just watched as the vizard moved around inside of it, paying special attention to Kazuko in case she tried to break anything.

When Kazuko began to get fidgety and glanced up every now and then, the warehouse decided to test something.

It focused all of its attention on her and waited for the outcome.

Kazuko moved around in a harried fashion, doing absolutely nothing but managing to look busy. Finally, after fifteen minutes, she stopped doing nothing and glared at the ceiling.

"STOP WATCHING ME!"

The warehouse kept its focus on Kazuko, but listened as the girl known as Hiyori shouted, "What in the hell are you yelling about?"

"The warehouse!" Kazuko explained, pointing to the ceiling, "It's watching me and it's getting annoying!"

For a moment, Hiyori said nothing in return. Then, the one the warehouse recognized as Kensei shouted, "Kazuko, stop with the creepy shit already!"

"Come on!" Kazuko whined, "You know how they say every house has a story? You know how houses get those stories? They watch! And right now, this house is watching me!"

"Kazuko." The man known as Shinji sighed, "Go take a nap."

The warehouse watched as Kazuko deflated, then walked over to the sofa and flopped down, the girl apparently not caring that she was using Rose's leg as a pillow. Apparently Rose didn't care either, because he just kept listening to his CD player.

Kazuko fell asleep, Rose tried to move some time later only to notice that Kazuko was asleep, he tried to move her but she just rolled onto her stomach and wrapped her arms around his leg, Rose gave up and fell asleep, and the warehouse was left watching two vizard sleep on a sofa.

Still, it didn't look away, because it was worried about what would happen it Kazuko woke up while it was turned away.

The warehouse had seen what Kazuko was capable of when her Hollow was under control and though it didn't care what happened to its training room, the warehouse did care what happened to the rest of it, no matter how dilapidated it was.

It needed to make sure Kazuko didn't destroy anything outside of its training room.

While it watched, the warehouse began to think up a plan; a plan to make Kazuko go away. The other vizard it could deal with; they had control. Kazuko it couldn't; she had to go.

And the warehouse knew just what to do…

* * *

It was three in the morning when it began. The warehouse knew that, for the best effect, it would have to start irrationally early, so it hadn't gotten a wink of sleep that night. Then, when it was time, it started softly…

"_A-well-a everybody's heard about the bird…_"

It paused, watching as the vizard turned uneasily in their sleep. Then, it turned up the volume.

"_B-b-b-bird, bird, bird, b-bird's the word_

_A-well-a bird, bird, bird, the bird is the word_

_A-well-a bird, bird, bird, well the bird is the word…_"

"…Kazuko!" Shinji shouted, "Turn that shit off!"

"Eh?"

"_A-well-a bird, bird, bird, b-bird's the word_

_A-well-a bird, bird, bird, well the bird is the word_

_A-well-a bird, bird, b-bird's the word…_"

The music was deafening now, the insipid, repetitive lyrics of 'Surfin' Bird' sung by The Trashmen reverberating off of the walls and making the building vibrate. It was uncomfortable, but a warehouse has to do what a warehouse has to do, especially when it comes to ridding itself of a manmade disaster such as Kazuko.

"_A-well-a bird, bird, bird, b-bird's the word_

_A-well-a bird, bird, bird, well the bird is the word_

_A-well-a bird, bird, b-bird's the word_

_A-well-a don't you know about the bird?_

_Well, everybody knows that the bird is the word!_

_A-well-a bird, bird, b-bird's the word_

_A-well-a…_"

By now the vizard had all gathered in the main room and were glaring at Kazuko, who was looking around with wide eyes.

"KAZUKO!!" Hiyori screamed, lunging out and grabbing Kazuko by the neck, "SHUT IT OFF!!"

"It's not me!" Kazuko rasped, pointing to the ceiling, "It's the warehouse! It's trying to get rid of me!"

"Well, it's succeeding." Hiyori growled, tightening her grip and crushing Kazuko's windpipe, "Now make it stop before you die."

"_A-well-a everybody's heard abo—_"

The warehouse turned the music off abruptly, watching as the rest of the vizard slowly made their ways back to bed.

Kazuko stayed in the main room, staring up at the ceiling with a frown.

The warehouse concentrated it's energy and managed to mutter, "_Geeeet ouuuuuut…_"

Kazuko jumped and squeaked, then angrily whispered, "What'd I do to you?!"

"_Geeeeeeeeet ouuuuuuuuuuutttttt!_"

"And if I don't?!"

"…_Diiiiieeeeeeee…_"

"_It's peanut butter jelly time!!_

_Peanut butter jelly time!!_

_Peanut butter jelly time!!_"

"KAZUKOOOOOOOOOOOO!!"

"_Do the Peanut butter jelly!!_

_Peanut butter jelly!!_"

"Fine, fine!" Kazuko hissed, crossing her arms and pouting when the music stopped abruptly. "If you want me out that bad, I'll go. But you'll regret it!"

The warehouse watched as Kazuko turned on her heel and stormed out of the warehouse, slipping out of the barrier and walking off into the night.

"…_Yeeeeessssssssssss…_"

* * *

When Kazuko had told the warehouse it would regret its decision, it didn't think to take her seriously.

At seven o'clock that morning the warehouse was still in a lucid trance (the closest any building gets to sleeping), which it was abruptly woken from when an explosion when off in one of the rooms in the back.

"KAZUKO!! GET IN HERE AND TURN THIS FUCKING PHONE OFF!"

The warehouse listened carefully, hearing the faint sound of some sort of pop music playing from where Hiyori's voice had screamed from.

There were several groans as the vizard shuffled for the second time in three hours, Hiyori stomping in and holding up a small black and blue cell phone as if it were something decidedly smelly, sticky, gooey and unpleasant. Which was understandable. The phone was playing 'The Birdie Song' by The Tweets.

"Where the fuck is Kazuko?" Hiyori snarled.

"Not here." Kuna answered, bouncing around the warehouse, looking for the newest vizard futilely, "I don't sense her at all."

No one said anything, and 'The Birdie Song' just seemed to get louder.

"DAMN IT!" Hiyori screamed, slamming the phone onto the ground and stomping on it.

As if to emulate a cliché, the phone didn't break.

Hiyori, who wasn't used to what she tried to break refusing to break, stomped harder.

Still, it didn't break.

Snarling, Hiyori drew her zanpakuto and slammed it down onto the phone.

Still, it didn't break.

Now desperate, Hiyori picked up the phone and chucked it at the window, sighing in relief as it broke through the glass and flew out of sight, 'The Birdie Song' fading.

"Well…" Hiyori sighed, "I'm going back to bed."

As she turned to walk out of the room, there was the sound of glass breaking, again, and something small, blue, and black sped across the room, smacking Hiyori in the back of the head, sending her flying forward and crashing into the wall.

"…Holy shit!" Hiyori jumped to her feet and spun around, twitching as she stared down at the phone. "It's possessed!"

The rest of the vizard just sat back and watched, unsure of what to do or say.

Hiyori stood stationary for a moment, twitching, then stared at the others seriously, "We have to get rid of this thing." The phone was still playing 'The Birdie Song'.

The warehouse watched as the vizard spent the next six hours and forty-five minutes trying to get rid of the phone, with no success.

"We need Kazuko back…" Shinji concluded.

The warehouse agreed; 'The Birdie Song' was starting to get really annoying.

So, the warehouse began talking to nearby buildings, sending out the message to look for an odd girl who was aware of the awarenesses of buildings, and Kazuko was back within the hour.

"I'll only come in," She shouted from outside the barrier, addressing the warehouse, "If you agree to not try to get rid of me anymore."

Resentful, the warehouse sent out waves of its reluctant agreement.

The vizard, who were about to form search parties, simply stared at Kazuko as she walked into the building, picked up the phone, flipped it open, and pressed a button.

The music stopped.

Kazuko shoved the phone into her pocket.

She turned to her fellow vizard, blinking. "What?"

* * *

"And that's what happened!" Kazuko concluded, raising her hands over her head and smiling.

The vizard stared at her.

"So… you want us to believe that buildings have consciousnesses?" Shinji concluded.

"Yep!" Kazuko smiled, "You mean you didn't know? Jeez! I knew that even before I challenged the Seireitei wall to a staring contest! I was just telling you about how I had the time to get a job!"

The vizard blinked.

"…You… got a job?" Rose asked, tilting his head.

"Yep!" Kazuko smiled, "I'm the new kennel-girl at the veterinary clinic five blocks away! I work Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays from ten to six! I get paid eight fifty an hour and I get paid every two weeks! That's four hundred and eight twice a month! And I get benefits! Four hundred in professional services!"

"…Professional services?" Shinji quirked a brow.

"It's free money for any emergency services I require if my pets need medical attention." Kazuko smiled, "I was thinking of using it for Hiyori!"

"…You bitch!" Hiyori screeched, jumping to her feet and lunging at Kazuko, who ran away laughing.

Lisa turned to Rose, frowning, "Do you think this whole 'buildings are aware' thing came from those berries she ate the other day?"

Rose nodded, "Probably."

"Ohhh! Look! I found some leftover berries in my pocket!"

"Kazuko, no!"

* * *

...Is it just me, or is this fic slowly descending into madness?

Don't worry; things get back to the main storyline in the next chapter.

Also,

Ladies and Gentlemen, this is a special announcement!

The brilliant Halibel Lecter has graciously provided us all with a picture of Kazuko in her Hollow form!

Go to my account, click on my newly added homepage, and enjoy!


	28. Times to Take Inaction

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Amalia) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

(Times to Take Inaction)

"Who's a cute puppy?" Kazuko cooed, grabbing the face of the pug puppy in front of her, "Who's a cute puppy? You are. You are!"

"Kazuko…" The receptionist smiled irately, "You need to take Pygmy to the back and get him set up in a kennel, now."

When Kazuko didn't listen and continued to coo to the puppy, the owner glanced at the receptionist nervously and whispered, "Is it safe to leave little Pygmy with her? She doesn't seem… mentally sound."

"It's fine." The receptionist smiled professionally, "Kazuko is great with animals; Pygmy is in good hands." She then narrowed her eyes at the new girl, "Kazuko! Kennel! Now!"

"Wez go, Pyg." Kazuko picked up the puppy and walked through the swinging door on the other side of the counter, "Wez go get you into a wittle kennow and get you a bwankie and some food and some wah-wah."

The technicians in the lab watched her as she passed, blinking in shock at the new girl their boss had hired. They knew why she had been hired (she was a genius when it came to calming nervous, angry, or downright frightened dogs and cats), but they really wished she had been given a less… visible position. Like graveyard trash duty.

In the back kennel room, Kazuko pulled a towel down from a shelf and spread it out in one of the empty kennels, placing the puppy on it.

"Dere you go, Pygmy!" Kazuko fussed, hugging the puppy, "Yooz all bedder now! You go sleepy-sleepy and I'll go get you your wah-wah and din-din!" She shut the cage-like door of the kennel and walked to the back of the room, opening a cabinet above a sink by the back door and pulling down two silver bowls.

After filling one of the bowls with water and the other with dog food and placing them in the kennel with the pug, Kazuko walked back to the sink and removed a clipboard from its hook on the wall, using the pen attached to the clipboard by a short string to check off the duties she had performed on the checklist.

Seeing she had completed the list for the day, Kazuko ripped the completed list from the pad and skipped back to the lab, waiting until the computer there was free to log into her work account and clock herself out.

"I'm done for the day!" Kazuko sang, skipping to the door, "After I turn in my list to the Boss Lady, I'm goin' home! Later, guys!"

The vets, technicians and lab assistants waited until the door had shut completely behind Kazuko before they sighed in relief.

* * *

Kazuko was on her way home, walking backwards while balancing on the safety buffer between the sidewalk and the road, when she felt a sudden pulse of odd energy. She stopped where she was, arms spread out so she could keep her balance, and took a moment to compare the energy to others she knew.

It wasn't shinigami; shinigami energy was like a regular human soul on steroids and crack and, for some reason, made her think of Kool-Aid. Lots and lots of red Kool-Aid.

It wasn't Hollow, either; Hollow was like a nice, clean white soul that had gotten a bit too frisky while playing on the playground and had fallen into a mud puddle, so that it was stained and dirty.

It seemed more… human to her than either shinigami or Hollow, but somehow… different. It was like… a human essence that had been drawn out to its thinnest; like dough that had been pressed with a rolling pin until it was impossible to pick it up without flaking it; like someone had taken the last swallows-worth of their fruit drink and had tired to make it last longer by diluting it with water, but ended up failing miserably.

And the energy seemed taunt; wary; desperate; almost defeated. What really scared her about the energy, though, was what seemed to hold it together; the decaying remains of other human energies.

Kazuko knew she shouldn't take so much as a step more towards the energy; she should just walk around it and head back to the warehouse, where she should tell Shinji and the others and let older, more powerful people handle it.

But she couldn't; this energy was sending out waves of distress. This energy needed help.

Ignoring the red lights in her head that warned her against going towards the energy, Kazuko turned and ran right for the energy.

A short time later, she arrived at the edge of the woods, running in without a second thought. She came to a halt within a clearing when the energy seemed to be right on top of her and spun around, looking for the owner.

Shortly after she stopped, a woman with long brown hair and a prominent side bang ran into the clearing, freezing when she saw Kazuko standing there.

The odd energy washed over Kazuko, confusing her and making her tense when it took a hostile edge. Within her, she felt Hayajihime stirring.

"Shinigami." The woman spat, raising her hands before her so that some kind of claw on her left hand touched a bracelet on her right.

"Wait!" Kazuko held up her hands, palms forward, in a sign of surrender, "I came to help."

The woman paused, lifting the pressure the claw had been putting on the bracelet and frowning, "What do you mean?"

"Your energy…" Kazuko blinked, "It's… warped. And it was scared. Are Hollows chasing you? Are you turning into one? What's wrong?"

The woman stared at her for a moment longer, then lowered her hands and sighed, "Go now, shinigami. Head back to where you came from and don't look back." She then turned and started walking away.

"Wait!" Kazuko took a step after the woman, only to freeze and jump back when a flame-like being formed in front of her, "Eep!"

"Shall I kill her, Yoshino?" The flame man asked.

"No." The woman answered, not turning back, "I won't say it again, shinigami; leave."

"But… you need… help…" Kazuko muttered, lowering her eyes but not leaving.

The woman spun around, "Lea—"

"Well, well, well," A smooth male voice interrupted, coming from behind Kazuko, "What have we here?" Kazuko spun around as a tall, sophisticated man with short brown hair and a strange attempt at what seemed to be a goatee walked out of the shadows, smirking at Kazuko, "A little shinigami friend, Yoshino? Isn't Ichinose enough?"

"Leave her alone, Ryo!" Yoshino shouted, the flame thing stepping passed Kazuko to stand between her and Ryo. "Girl, go now!"

Kazuko was frozen in place, torn between obeying and staying to help the clearly troubled woman.

_Kazuko, listen to her and run!_ Hayajihime shouted in her ear.

Biting her lip hard, Kazuko turned and ran, using shunpo to arrive at the warehouse in seconds. Inside, she ran to Shinji, who was sitting on the sofa, and fell onto the ground before him, clinging to his legs and staring at the ground silently.

The vizard, who had been speaking, fell silent, and listened as Kazuko began to talk.

* * *

"They're called Bounts," Love explained when she was done talking, "They're chimeras that were accidentally created by a shinigami named Ran'Tao some time ago. Not long after, the higher-ups gave orders for them to be executed. I'm surprised to hear that some of them survived, but not entirely surprised."

"Yoshino needs help." Kazuko muttered, no longer clinging to Shinji but sitting a few feet in front of the sofa, her legs crossed and her hands in her lap. She stared at her hands, white from stress.

"It's none of our business." Shinji said firmly. "You can go ahead and hunt Hollows if you wish, Kazuko, but the Bount are definitely none of our business, and if you get caught up with them you'll lead them back to us. On top of that, you'll probably end up dead. Just let them be."

"But," Kazuko looked up, green eyes wide with panic, "They're in or near Karakura! That means that people are in danger, especially if they decide to attack!"

"They won't." Rose sighed, "The Bounts feast on the souls of the dead; they aren't going to wipe out an entire food source. Besides, if they did attack, they'd catch the attention of the Gotei, and they know that."

"…" Kazuko lowered her gaze to the ground, "Is this… how you learned to stop acting?"

"Exactly how." Lisa affirmed, pursing her lips, "In the beginning, we were like you, Kazuko. But the years have taught us that being how you are is more than unsafe for us, it's unsafe for others. Often times, inaction is the best course."

Kazuko flinched, "Oh…"

Hiyori frowned, "You know, for someone who claims she never wanted to be a shinigami, you sure do want to interfere a lot."

Kazuko looked up and smiled brightly, punching herself in the temple, "Yep! That's stupid ol' Kazuko for you! She's not the sharpest tool in the shed and she's a few gears short of a working clock."

The vizard stared at her, shocked, then watched as she slumped again and stood, walking to the back while muttering something about a nap.

"…That kind of emotional suppression is considered unhealthy, right?" Rose asked, quirking a flaxen brow.

"For humans." Kensei grunted, "So it's a good thing we're not human."

"Actually, I've found that it's true for all sentient beings." Hachi interjected, sighing.

"Whatever." Hiyori scoffed, standing and following Kazuko, "I'm gonna make her bake a cake."

"Cake?!" Kuna jumped to her feet and cheered, "Wait for me, Hiyori!"

As she ran after the short blonde, Kuna accidentally stepped on Kensei's foot, resulting in the man bending over quickly to grab it. Before he made it, his face slammed into the boot on the foot Rose had raised and settled over his other leg.

Kensei abandoned grabbing his foot and grabbed his face, bellowing, "MASHIRO!"

Shinji sighed and rolled his eyes, "After Hiyori makes Kazuko bake that cake, let's get Kazuko back downstairs for more training."

* * *

Training had changed for Kazuko, because now that she had gotten her inner Hollow to agree to hand over her powers, she now had to work on mastering them, and the hardest part of this turned out to be maintaining it.

At least, that was what the vizard had told her.

Kazuko didn't really see much of a problem.

"You're kidding." Hiyori muttered, twitching as Kazuko skipped around the room with her mask on. "Do we have another Kuna situation?"

"That's what it looks like." Shinji muttered back, looking down at the stopwatch, "Two hours and forty-seven seconds… forty-eight… forty-nine… fifty—"

As soon as he said fifty, Kazuko stopped skipping and grabbed her head, screaming. The vizard watched as the strange white liquid that had become synonymous to Hollow transformation poured out of the sides of her mask, quickly coating her body.

The bird screeched, then drew Hayajihime and slammed the butt of the sword against its forehead, at which point the mask and the rest of the white on her body shattered.

When she was free, Kazuko dropped Hayajihime in front of her and dropped to the ground, landing on her butt. She crossed her arms and legs and stared at her zanpakuto, apparently sulking.

"Kazuko?" Kuna called out, tilting her head.

Kazuko frowned at her zanpakuto, then looked up at the others and shouted back, "Could you guys leave me and Haya alone for a few days? We've got some training to do."

The vizard stared at her, shocked.

"You sure?" Shinji blinked, "You've never seemed to care about training before…"

"I know." Kazuko sighed, "But this is something Haya and I need to do…"

Shinji stared at her, then shrugged, "Fine."

After her fellow vizard had left, Kazuko turned back to Hayajihime and sighed, "You can come out now."

Hayajihime faded into existence, her arms crossed and a grave look on her face, "Are you sure you want to do this? You don't really need that form right now, you know—"

"But I'd like to have it when I do need it." Kazuko interrupted, "Besides, I can't have that kind of power and not be able to use it properly, right? It'd be bad if I summoned it under pressure later and used it wrong."

Hayajihime nodded, "Good point. Very well, then; shall we descend into lucidity?"

Kazuko nodded, "Take me there."

There was a flash of light, followed by Kazuko collapsing by the blade of her zanpakuto. Hayajihime's humanoid form had vanished, but her blade glowed grey-blue.


	29. ShirakuOnmoraki Hayajihime

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Amalia) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

(Shiraku-Onmoraki Hayajihime)

"Things will be different here, Kazuko." Hayajihime explained as the world twisted and contorted before the young vizard's eyes. "Where before you and Alexis fought in your souls realm of peace, this is your souls realm of turmoil.

"Everything bad you have ever said, done, thought, or witnessed can be witnessed here, and, because part of her is now you, you will also see the same things through Alexis' life.

"There will be trials here related to these you will have to overcome; this is part of my subjugation. Yes, you have called my bankai, and yes, it did answer, but not only did you attempt it by using a release command, you also lost your will and let it shatter.

"If you want to succeed in this, you cannot allow that to happen. The reflex to shy must be overcome, and you cannot fear the blood that gives you your power."

"I'll do anything." Kazuko muttered, "Just show me how."

"Hold your breath and accept the death as it pulls at your being."

* * *

"How long have we been here?"

"Time holds no meaning in this place. On the outside, it could be hours, days, weeks… who knows?"

"That bird that came in my bankai the first time… what does it do?"

"Onmoraki is a demon of corpses. She is born of the spirits of the dead and rises to feast upon the carrion of the battlefield. Once she has consumed the corpses, she consumes herself and does not rise again until a new mass of corpses awaits her."

"…So… she's only good as a bankai so long as there are a lot of dead bodies around?"

"Or as long as there are living around to make more corpses, yes. But, in your bankai, she also feasts on blood, which is her initial special ability; the 'Shiraku' part of the name. 'Onmoraki' does not feed until all let blood has been drained."

"…Will Onmoraki feed on my blood?"

"Do you really think a bird that will eat itself will have any reserves about drinking the blood of its master? If there is blood, Onmoraki will feed, regardless of who it belongs to. She just won't eat your corpse; if you die, she dies with you."

"…How did I end up with a bankai like this?"

"Zanpakuto are reflections of your own self, Kazuko. There was no mistake in its creation; your Hollow may be part of Alexis because it was created using her, but your zanpakuto was born as soon as you were given life. I was born with you and I will die with you; I am a reflection of you, and I am absolute in all my forms."

"So are you saying some part of me is really that dark, naturally?"

"I am saying I am absolute in all of my forms. I am no more and no less than what you are."

"…Haya?"

"Yes?"

"If I ever get so lost that I start to show the side of me that created Onmoraki, don't let me get any further than that; kill me."

"Kazuko—"

"No. I never want to be the person that that bird reflects. I know you can do it, and if it gets that bad then please kill me."

"…It shall be as you wish."

* * *

She weaved in and out of stances, her body hot and sweaty despite the fact that her manifestation was nothing more than the byproduct of her own mind.

Her hands bled, slicking the ground beneath her feet and staining he socks, but she didn't mind; the crimson was needed to feed the demon when she called her.

All around her, memories of the past flooded her mind; the people she had hurt, though usually unintentionally, with her lies, no matter how well meant. The angry thoughts that made her hate someone for no real reason. Every person Alexis had ever fought in anger. Every hurtful word she and Alexis had ever used against others.

Even their memories of dead or dying loved ones, friends, family, acquaintances, strangers, and even animals. They all lay, spread-eagled, around her as blood and corpses, ready to feed the demon bird.

She shouted the release command, even though bankai shouldn't need a command, and once again the blood swirled around her, the great black bird forming above. The bird sucked up all of the blood into its form and shuffled, its eyes glowing.

Kazuko shouted the trigger phrase for the first special attack, wincing when she saw the devastation it could wreak.

Then, when the bird was out of blood, it descended upon the corpses before her and began to feast. Kazuko looked away as it fed, making the demon chuckle, a grating, hollow sound.

When it was done feeding, the bird took to the sky again and Kazuko shouted the second trigger, nearly screaming in horror at the scene, which made the first trigger look pathetic.

Finally, knowing she had one last to perform, Kazuko hugged herself and shouted the third and final command, falling to her knees and heaving as the birds head shot towards its stomach, where it disemboweled itself.

When the bird was finished devouring its own body, the final special attack was released, and Kazuko lost all thought.

* * *

"That was disgusting." Kazuko murmured, her eyes squinted tightly shut.

"That is your bankai." Hayajihime countered, shrugging, "It belongs to you and only you, and it is a reflection of part of you. …There is darkness in all humans, Kazuko. Yours simply gives you strength."

"Unwelcomed strength." Kazuko shuddered, "The bird tore out her own stomach, Haya."

"_I_ tore out my own stomach, Kazuko." Hayajihime insisted, "_We_ tore out our own stomach. And as long as that power is needed, we will continue to tear ourselves apart for those we care for. Believe it or not, Kazuko, this power is worth it."

"Bird of blood," Kazuko muttered, "Feast upon the carrion of this battlefield and sate your hunger… Shiraku-Onmoraki Hayajihime."

"It is what we are, Kazuko. Accept it. …" Hayajihime frowned, "And stop saying the trigger to achieve bankai. It's not necessary, I told you that."

Kazuko glared at her zanpakuto, "You know as well as I do Shiraku-Onmoraki enjoys hearing that."

Hayajihime had no way to argue that point, but suddenly became distracted by something off in the distance, "It comes."

"Wha—" Kazuko began, only to cut off as she turned and stare in horror at the enormous blood red clouds that were approaching them at an accelerated rate. "Haya?!"

"Face your demons, Kazuko." The voice of not Hayajihime, but Shiraku-Onmoraki Hayajihime grumbled, sounding not unlike a demon sent by the Lord of Flames. "Show me what you can do."

* * *

When Kazuko opened her eyes again, she stood at the spot where her nightmare had started. She stood where she had absorbed part of her best friend in order to survive, while the friend died.

Kazuko stood at the ridge where her fate to become first a shinigami, then a vizard, was decided.

It looked just as it had the day of the accident…

It was a sharp corner on a road running along the side of a cliff, a great canyon stretching off into the black abyss below. Above, it was late in the evening and the sky was grey with heavy rainclouds.

There, on the dirt edge alongside the cliff designed so that cars could make stops if necessary lay a bus, completely tuned over, with all of its windows shattered and its wheels still turning.

In the driver's seat, a large, dark form hung upside down, stationary, still strapped in with a seat belt. A dark liquid dripped from the forms stiff, dangling fingers.

Right behind the driver's seat was another form, splayed halfway out of the broken window. A halo of platinum blonde hair pooled around this form's head, and the left hand was thrown forward so that a wedding ring of white gold stood out proudly, only slightly flecked with blood.

All around Kazuko lay the bodies of her young classmates, some alive and some already progressing through the early states of rigor mortis.

"Quickly, Nemu, you stupid girl!" She heard a familiar high voice shout from behind her, "Get the link over here before this specimen is lost!"

"Yes, Master." Yet another familiar voice sighed demurely.

Slowly, Kazuko turned around, blinking vapidly at the sight of Mayuri Kurotsuchi knelt beside her heavily injured and quickly dying, preteen human body. On the other side of the body lay her soul, barely attached to the body by a quickly deteriorating Chain of Fate.

Even as Nemu ran to the body of another human girl, the young Amalia's chain severed, making her soul scream.

"Nemu!"

Nemu grunted, then grabbed the Alexis's chain with both hands and wrenched it from the human corpse, running back to Mayuri with the whole thing. The captain swore when she presented him with the whole chain.

"Too much could ruin her soul!" He shouted, smacking Nemu heavily enough to send her flying, "Stupid girl." Working quickly, he drew his zanpakuto and through one of the links, handling it carefully as he worked it through the two short chains coming out of Amalia's body's chest and her soul's chest.

Mayuri then built up a large, steady amount of spiritual pressure, folding his hands over the chains and beginning to press the ends of Alexis' stolen link back together.

Already knowing what would happen, Kazuko turned back to Alexis, watching as the life flickered from her body and her soul began to warp. Her Chain had been cut short in the accident, when a Hollow had attacked the bus. The Hollow had been dispatched by Nemu as soon as she and Mayuri had arrived, but that didn't change the devastation that the creature had brought down on the unsuspecting fieldtrip students.

There was nothing Kazuko could do as she watched her best friend change from a human soul to a Hollow, so she lowered her eyes in shame, clenching her hands when Alexis roared in pain.

"AMALIA!" Kazuko looked up and flinched at the condor-like Hollow before her. The beast spread its large, blue-black wings and bore down on her, "WHY?! WHY DIDN'T YOU LIFT A FINGER TO SAVE ME?!"

"I'm sorry…" Kazuko muttered, lowering her eyes again, "There was nothing I could do…"

"LIAR!"

"Kazuko! Fight!"

Hearing the command from Hayajihime she had heard so many times before, Kazuko drew her zanpakuto and held it in front of her, "Dance in the wind, Hayajihime!"

Alexis screeched and stumbled back as a 'Kamaitachi' sliced through her winged shoulder. The wound formed by the kido attack, though, healed over quickly, and the Hollow lunged forward.

Unable to continue fighting what she had created, Kazuko let her arm fall limp, her tessen clenched loosely in her hand.

"Kazuko!" Hayajihime shouted from behind her, "What are you doing?!"

"Taking the punishment I deserve." Kazuko muttered, keeping her head lowered, "It's my fault Alexis is like this…"

A taloned hand reached out and fisted around her, hoisting her into the air and squeezing the air out of her lungs.

"Kazuko!"

"Shut up, zanpakuto." The Hollow growled, raising Kazuko and throwing her.

No time to brace herself, Kazuko screamed as her back slammed into the side of the cliff beside the road, rocks digging into her back and jolts of numbness shooting down her arms and legs. Hayajihime clattered to the ground, useless, at her side.

Letting out a small scream as she moved, Kazuko pushed herself to her feet and stood shakily, her breath coming out in heavy bursts as she turned to face the Hollow. As soon as she was facing the creature, the wings warped into countless blades and shot at her, piercing her arms and legs and pinning her to the rocky wall.

"You will pay, Amalia." The Hollow rasped, leaning forward and breathing into her ear.

Weakly, Kazuko glanced over the Hollow's shoulder at where Mayuri and Nemu had been. They were gone, though her body remained.

_Kazuko._ Hayajihime whispered, _Giving in like this isn't helping you, and it certainly isn't helping Alexis. Don't not take action because you feel guilty; do what's best for her and free her._

"B… but…" Kazuko protested weakly, choking on the blood that was welling up in her throat.

_Save her, Kazuko. Fight your demon; save her and save yourself._

Kazuko sighed shakily, reminding herself that the Hollow in front of her was a symbol, not the real thing. Even if she didn't know what the symbol was, it was still nothing more than a metaphor.

She felt the blades slide out of her body as the Hollow drew back for another attack. Kazuko's fingers fumbled around to where she had dropped her tessen, her hands tightening on the fan when her palm brushed across its smooth surface.

Taking a breath, Kazuko pushed herself to her feet and faced the Hollow, flicking her wrist and snapping the fan open.

"Bankai!" Kazuko shouted, "Shiraku-Onmoraki Hayajihime!"

Blood trailed across the ground, inching towards Kazuko, all of it coming from the corpses of those who had died in the car accident. The demon bird formed above Kazuko, relishing in the feast.

Shuddering, Kazuko closed her eyes and shouted the first special attack release, then the second, then the third, keeping her eyes shut the entire time. Unfortunately, this didn't block out the sound or smell.

The ear piercing screech that left the Hollow's mouth as it fell nearly knocked Kazuko out and drastically reduced her hearing, everything sounding muffled afterwards.

The smell of Shiraku-Onmoraki's second release lingered in the air; the stench of rotting flesh and burning puss, of stale blood and human waste.

Finally, Shiraku-Onmoraki finished devouring himself and the final attack was released, and Kazuko could no longer see.

_Remember, Kazuko, that you must only use the final trigger if you know it won't affect you or it is absolutely necessary, because if you don't, the consequences will be—_

* * *

Kazuko opened her eyes and inhaled deeply, falling to her knees and coughing.

"Kazuko? Are you—"

Then nothing.


	30. School Again

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Amalia) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

(School Again)

"You sure you're alright?" Shinji asked as Kazuko downed a cup of Rose's sake, frowning as she did.

"Of course!" Kazuko smiled widely, "What makes you think something's wrong?" She downed another cup of sake.

Shinji blinked, slowly answering, "Oh, nothing." He then quirked a brow as she moved to down a third cup, but was stopped when Rose took the cup from her and downed it, himself. "Do you know how long you've been out?"

Kazuko shrugged, enjoying the slight buzz in her head, "I dunno… Haya said it would be impossible to tell in there."

"'Bout two weeks." Shinji answered, leaning forward precariously in the chair he was sitting backwards in, "Give 'er take."

"That's nice." Kazuko smiled, "Your hair looks really silky."

Shinji rolled his eyes, "Yeah." He glared at Rose, "Don't let her drink any more."

"Whatever." Rose shrugged.

Kazuko looked around the warehouse, "Where are the others?"

"Out." Shinji answered, letting all of the legs of the chair he was in hit the ground, "Lisa said something about groceries and the others jumped on the bandwagon. Rose and I were elected to stay behind to keep an eye on you." He frowned at her, "Seriously, what happened down there?"

"Nothing!" Kazuko said brightly, smiling.

The two vizard stared at her, then Shinji sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Kazuko," Rose began after a moment, "You went to the Karakura middle school when you were younger, right?"

"Yeah." Kazuko nodded, "Why?"

"Did you know a kid named Kurosaki?"

"Ichigo?" Kazuko smiled widely, "Yeah! He and I were in the same class!"

"I see…" Shinji muttered, taking over the conversation for Rose, "And how well would you say you know him?"

She shrugged, "Alright enough, I guess. We never talked a lot, but he was one of those kids it was impossible to not know something about."

"Were you two on friendly terms?"

"I guess."

"Good." Shinji nodded, leaning back in his chair and smiling, "Brush up on your schooling, Kazuko, because you and I are enrolling at Karakura High."

Kazuko blinked, "What?"

* * *

"NO!" Kazuko's scream was heard clearly from the other side of the door, beyond which Hiyori, Kuna, and Lisa were supposed to be attempting to force her to put on the Karakura High school uniform. "I DID **NOT** JUST SPEND THESE LAST TWO YEARS DEAD AND FIGHTING HOLLOWS JUST TO BE FORCED BACK INTO SCHOOL!"

"Kazuko!" Shinji barked, banging his fist against the door, "Put on the damned uniform, already! We're going to be late!"

"NO!" There was the sharp slap of flesh striking flesh.

"THAT'S IT! BANKAI!"

"Hiyori, no!" Lisa shouted.

"Eeep!"

There were several crashes, a few explosions, some breaking glass and one screeching cat, and then all was silent.

Then, the door banged open and Hiyori stormed out, followed by an annoyed Lisa and a nervous Kuna. Finally, an irate Kazuko sulked out of the room, body slumped forward as she looked down at her grey Karakura uniform angrily.

"You suck." She grumbled, glaring at Shinji.

He ignored her and said, "When we get they're, you're my sister, got it? Your name is Kazuko Hirako, understood?"

Kazuko scowled, "And what if I don' wanna?!"

"Well, then that's too bad." Shinji shrugged, "Now, let's go. We have to run by the Urahara Shop to get your Soul Candy."

"Huh?" Kazuko blinked, tilting her head.

Shinji sighed, "So far we've been forcing you out of that gigai Urahara shoved you in, but it's not good to keep doing that without the proper equipment. So, while you were training, I took the liberty of putting in an order under your name at Urahara's shop for some Soul Candy and a dispenser for whenever you have to use your shinigami form."

Kazuko slumped forward, sulking, "Mrow…"

* * *

"Well, well, well…" The blonde man in the bowl had and clunky wooden shoes chuckled, waving his fan in front of his face in order to hide his more than likely present smirk, "Who do we have here? Little Kazuko? In a school uniform?"

Kazuko sighed, then brightened and smiled widely, "Hey, Mr. Urahara! You wouldn't happen to have my order, would you?"

"Sure do!" Kisuke replied, shutting his fan and smiling, "Just follow me and I'll get it for you." He led her to the main room and had her sit, then walked off to the back rooms.

As Kazuko waited, a tall woman with tanned skin and purple hair walked into the room, blinking and smiling when she saw Kazuko, "Hey, Kazuko. Good to see you survived the incident back in the Seireitei."

"Hello!" Kazuko smiled, then tilted her head slightly, "Do I know you?"

The woman smirked, "Well, when you met me I was about fourteen inches tall with black fur and a masculine voice."

Kazuko blinked, "Uncle Earl?" When the woman deadpanned, Kazuko had an epiphany and her eyes widened, "Miss Yoruichi?!"

Yoruichi smirked, "Bingo. But drop the 'miss'."

"What's this?" Kisuke asked, walking back into the room with a small box, "You know Kazuko, Yoruichi?"

"She helped when we went to the Soul Society to save Rukia." Yoruichi replied, sitting across from Kazuko and smiling, "But she disappeared after that." The woman glanced at Kazuko, her eyes narrowing slightly, "Where have you been?"

Kazuko laughed, scratching the back of her head, "Eheheheheheheheheheh… Oh, would you look at the time!" She jumped to her feet, gesturing to a nonexistent watch on her wrist, "I really have to be going. Thanks for the PEZ, here's your money," She took the box from Kisuke and shoved a wad of bills and coins into his hands, "Thanks for your time and have a good day! Bye-bye!" Kazuko then dashed out of the shop.

"…" Yoruichi glanced at Kisuke, "She's a vizard now, isn't she?"

"Yep."

"Thought so. She's with the others?"

"Yep."

"Good."

"Yep."

"…Shut up."

"Gotcha."

* * *

"Well, then, why don't you introduce yourselves to the class." The teacher, Ms. Ochi, smiled.

Kazuko just lowered her head and remained silent, not wanting too many people to recognize her.

"Alrighty, then," Shinji stepped up to the board, picking up a piece of chalk, "I'll handle this. My name is Shinji Hirako." He wrote it out, "And this is my sister, Kazuko Hirako." He wrote her name below his, and noticeably smaller.

"Shinji…" The teacher blinked, "You wrote both of your names backwards…"

"I know. Cool, eh?" Shinji asked, smirking when the other students laughed, "It's my specialty."

The teacher smiled, "I see. Well, let's find you and your sister some seats—"

"Put me next to a cute girl." Shinji suggested, looking around the class with a smirk and making most of the girls blush, "And keep my sister far away from me; she'll cut my fun."

"Actually," Kazuko muttered so only Shinji and Ms. Ochi could hear her, "It would be better if you put him next to me with several other boys. Things will be more productive."

"Nyah, Kazu!" Shinji thumped her on the side of the head, "Shut up!"

Kazuko slumped and covered her head, "Eeep!"

"I think…" Ms. Ochi began slowly, "Well put you both together… and right next to him." She pointed to a familiar orange-haired student.

"Alright!" Shinji agreed cheerfully, grabbing Kazuko by the arm and dragging her over to Ichigo. While Shinji sat to Ichigo's right and introduced himself, Kazuko sat right behind him and kept her head lowered, refusing to look at some of the students who had turned towards her, obviously recognizing her.

The day progressed quickly, and Kazuko grabbed Shinji as soon as the bell rang and drug him out of the class, forcing him to flash step several blocks away to the top of a building.

"What're you doing?" Shinji asked, brushing himself off, "I wanted to hang around for a bit and check out the lad—"

"Shinji."

He stopped talking and stared at Kazuko, serious. It was the first time she had addressed him as just 'Shinji', no 'Mr.' included. That, in and of itself, commanded his full attention.

"They'll recognize me." Kazuko muttered, "I let most of them go when I died, but now I'm back and they'll recognize me. I don't want that. I've lost enough friends in my life; don't make me lose them again."

Shinji stared at her, for once regarding her seriously without taking her Hollow into account; before him was nothing but Kazuko. "Kaz, you can be friends with them again if you want. There's nothing to worry about. None of us are going to stop you from going to school." He paused, then muttered under his breath, "Actually, some of us would appreciate you being out of the house more often."

Kazuko paused, then turned to Shinji, "Ichigo is a vizard, isn't he?"

"Yep." Shinji nodded, "That's what we figure."

"I thought so…" Kazuko frowned, "His energy was a bit weird…"

Shinji stared at her, then blinked and said, "You know, you're actually pretty good at reading reiatsu and spiritual energies."

Kazuko blinked and stared at Shinji in shock, "I think… that's the first nice thing you've ever said to me…" She smiled slowly, then raised her arms over her head and shouted, "Huzzah!"

Shinji rolled his eyes, "Don't let it get to your head." He then turned away, walking to the edge of the building and stepping up on it, glancing back over his shoulder, "I'm gonna go watch Kurosaki. Head back and tell the others."

"Aye, aye!" Kazuko smiled widely, then turned towards the warehouse and took off.

Shinji stared after her, "Good thing she's a ditz. Otherwise that damned Hollow of hers would use her zanpakuto to destroy most of the world…"

* * *

It's coming.

_What is?_

The next chapter in your story… so close to the end.

…_The end? As in—_

Yes. Did you honestly think that, with the way things have been going for you, you could ever be happy?

_I was hoping—_

Don't hope. Don't ever hope. And don't set any expectations of life; if you do, you'll only be disappointed in the end.

_So… what? I should just… live a hollow life?_

If it keeps you from getting hurt, why not? Besides, soon it won't matter. Soon, your story will be over.

…_Why?_

Because, Kazuko, that is the way this story ends. That is how the greater powers decided for it to happen, and that's the road you chose to take. Now, it is inevitable.

…_Will I die unhappy? Unfulfilled?_

There is still time; make something of what you have left. The greater powers and yourself hold sway over the big picture, but you alone choose the details. Do what you wish and be happy with yourself.

_Will it be… the end? For good?_

Is anything ever really 'the end'? Just because Kazuko dies, does that mean who she was and what made her is gone forever? Simply because you were born to Mae, does that mean that that's all there ever was of you, only that and nothing more? The spirit is eternal, Kazuko, caught in the throes of Abyss and Universe; of Cosmos and Telos; of Here and There; of Is and Isn't. What you become on this plane is strictly a matter of entropy, but who you make of what you become is Order, is Right, is Destined, is You.

…_I'm scared._

Of course you are. We all are when we must realize our Final. I was, too, and will be every time over, just like you. You are not alone; you are never alone.

…_Shiraku-Onmoraki Hayajihime—_

Is part of you, yes, in every sense there is. But you must look beyond the horrific surface, Kazuko. The Demon Bird suffers because of those who suffer on the battlefield, she is born of their pain. And when her power comes to fruition, for the sake of those she was born for, she consumes herself to requite their pain and turn it into retribution. You give the ones you absorb their Final.

…_Why was I given this power?_

We all have this power, Kazuko. It's just, this time around, you were the one to realize it and make it yours. Next time, it could be someone else, or it could be you again. It all depends on Order.

_Who are yo—_

That, Kazuko, is a question for another time. You are waking, now.

**And now, as Light approaches and We begin anew**

**Let us not forget what we saw this night**

**For it is but a prelude of what is to come;**

**A precursor to the final dying of a light**

**Before it turns full circle**

**And begins in Life**

* * *

Yeah, I know. I got a little grim in the last chapter, didn't I? (rubs back of head) Then again same thing here, huh?

Well, fans, unfortunately things don't always turn out hunky-dory... in fact sometimes they go bad. Real bad. Trust me. I know. I've seen it.

Anyway, back to the humor soon!

...And then things get depressing.

Real depressing...

...I'm gonna have to change the filter on this fic soon... Hehe, never figured when I started it would come out like this... Then again, do we ever? (unless you, like, plan it all out ahead of time)

Well, tootles!


	31. Ichigo Comes for Training

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Amalia) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

(Ichigo Comes for Training)

"Kazuko?!"

"Hehe… hello, Ichigo!" Kazuko smiled widely, raising her hand and waving to Ichigo as he walked over to her, then grabbed her collar and forced her to look him dead in the eye.

"I knew it was you…" He muttered, "In the Soul Society and in class… I knew it."

"Hehe…" Kazuko's smile turned nervous, "Please don't kill me?"

"Hmm?" Ichigo blinked then looked at his hands and, realizing he was holding Kazuko some two feet off of the ground in a rather threatening position, set her back on her feet, careful not to drop her. "Sorry." He grunted, one corner of his mouth twitching upward in an apologetic manner.

"No problemo!" Kazuko saluted, tilting her head, "I know that it must be pretty odd to see me back in a solid body… Though it's really just a gigai. For all intents and purposes for regular humans, I'm dead."

"I see…" Ichigo stepped back from her, looking up at the vizard scattered among the broken upper levels of the warehouse, watching the two interact intently, "And you're one of them?"

"If your recent power fluctuations are any indication…" Kazuko said softly, reaching out and poking him in the center of his forehead, "Then so are you."

Ichigo's eyes hardened, "Kazuko, I—"

"I know." She cut him off, pulling her hand back and smiling, "Mr. Shinji already told me; you don't want to. But Ichigo…" Her smile dropped, "It happened already, right? About a week ago, I mean… the strong Hollows… the Arrancar… they dropped down for the first time. Since then, more have come, and your powers went unchecked."

Ichigo's entire face deadpanned.

"Ichigo…" Kazuko sighed and lowered her eyes, "When I came here, I learned that, with such dangerous times coming, it's not good to have a power as strong as ours and not be able to use it, because then you're more dangerous to your allies than to your enemies… Ichigo, I don't want you to learn that the hard way, like I did."

"I don't want to join." Ichigo said firmly. His eyes then widened when Kazuko grabbed his collar and drug him down to her level, so that she was speaking into his ear.

"Then don't. Stay long enough to learn, then do what you want." Ichigo twitched beside her. "This power is yours and yours alone, Ichigo; you're free to do with it what you please. But because of this, you're responsible of for being able to control it, meaning when someone offers to help you, you accept, no matter the circumstances." She backed away, smiling at him, "After all, we're simple hermits. We don't honestly expect any legal or binding contracts out of our cohorts."

"You dropped out of school." Ichigo interrupted, abruptly changing the subject.

Kazuko blinked, then smiled sheepishly, "I didn't want Captain Hitsugaya and the others to recognize me… It's my understanding that the Soul Society shinigami aren't supposed to treat us vizard… nicely." She lowered her eyes again, "I would have been there… for the second assault last night, but… Shinji and the others said it would be better if I stayed here. And they were right, I suppose." She looked back at him and smiled, "I would've gotten in the way; Haya, Alexis and I have been fighting again."

Ichigo frowned, "'Haya'? 'Alexis'?"

"You'll see soon enough." Shinji interrupted, "So, Ichigo, have you finally decided to join us?"

Kazuko could only smile when Ichigo glared up at Shinji and shouted, "Yeah, right. Me, join you? Get real. I'm here…" The orange-haired boy smirked, "To use you." He glanced at Kazuko, nodding.

Kazuko nodded back, still smiling.

"Say what?" Shinji muttered, frowning as he looked between the two.

"I'm not joining anyone, but you will teach me how to suppress my inner Hollow." Ichigo said.

Wincing at the anger that was beginning to radiate in the room, Kazuko jumped away from Ichigo and landed by Shinji, dropping to the ground and looking away.

"Looks like you're really underestimatin' us." Shinji said, raising one foot and stepping on Kazuko's head, leaning against her like a stool, "We're not teaching you anything, dumbass!"

"I'll make you tell me." Ichigo muttered, refusing to look at Shinji.

Shinji stared at him before asking, in a dangerously low voice, "How?"

Ichigo smirked again, raising his head slightly, "I'll beat it out of you."

"Don't make me laugh." Shinji mocked in his still low voice.

Ichigo just sniffed, pulling something out of the back of his pocket. His shinigami form leapt out of his human body and shot towards Shinji, drawing a huge, cleaver-like zanpakuto as he did.

"Looks like we gotta do this the hard way…" Shinji muttered, kicking Kazuko on the side of the head so she rolled out of the way.

Kazuko's back slammed into the wall and she watched on her side as Shinji drew his zanpakuto, jumping into the air and clashing swords with Ichigo. She watched as they exchanged several blows like this, rolling onto her hands and knees and standing when Shinji charged his blade with reiatsu and pushed Ichigo back, the young man crashing onto a pile of boxes on the ground.

"C'mon." Hiyori muttered, grabbing Kazuko's arm and pulling her down as the others jumped down, as well, each now holding their zanpakuto.

Getting the message, Kazuko pulled her Soul Candy dispenser out of her pocket and popped one of the pills, her soul emerging from her gigai and her hands clasping Hayajihime, though it was more to defend Ichigo, if necessary. She seemed to be the only one who didn't want him to join if he didn't want to.

Ichigo glanced at them for a moment, then charged at Shinji again, their swords screaming against one another.

"That Ichigo boy is pretty good to fight on par with Shinji." Rose observed after a moment.

"Idiot." Lisa rolled her eyes, "Take a closer look."

"Shinji isn't fighting with his full power." Kazuko muttered, noticing that the blonde was holding a lot back.

"The same can be said of Ichigo, as well." Hachi said.

"He's _definitely_ scared." Love sighed.

"Scared?" Kuna asked, "Of what?"

Kensei stepped forward and answered, "His Hollow. The punk's so scared, he's trying to fight without calling his Hollow out." He scowled, "We've been trying to recruit this guy, and this is the level he's at?"

"You can hardly blame him!" Kazuko insisted, waving her hands and frowning deeply, "Ichigo's had to handle this all by himself! Remember when you found me?"

"Yeah, but your case is different." Lisa glanced at her, "Your Hollow's energy is two different entities combined. You could have hardly been expected to control it on your own."

Hiyori sighed and walked forward, making Kuna step after her.

"Hiyori? Where are you going?"

"Hachi." Hiyori called, ignoring the question, "Add another five layers to the barrier."

"Alright." Hachi nodded.

Hiyori stared up at Ichigo and Shinji for a moment, then took of her sandal and jumped at the blonde man, "Shinji! Tag out!" She smacked him upside the head with aforementioned sandal.

Shinji was either caught off guard or the sandal was just that powerful, because Shinji was sent shooting through the window and out of the building, flying out of sight.

Hiyori groaned and glared down at Hachi, "I told you to add five layers!"

"I didn't have enough time!" Hachi called back, raising his hands defensively.

The girl just rolled her eyes, then turned to Ichigo and began challenging him, taunting him by saying he "didn't have a choice in whether or not he joined them", making him glance down at Kazuko.

Kazuko just shrugged, fiddling with Hayajihime nervously and watching Hiyori closely.

When Hiyori went so far as to summon her mask, Kazuko's grip tightened on the hilt of her zanpakuto. Around her, the others shouted their protests to Hiyori, clearly not approving of her use of force, and when the blonde made her move, Kazuko couldn't help it.

Her hand twitched on her hilt, about to draw her zanpakuto when a heavy hand set on her shoulder and stopped her. Kazuko looked up at Rose, blinking.

"Not now, Kazuko." Rose said evenly, "Leave this to Hiyori for the moment; you'll play your part when the time comes."

"But I…" Kazuko trailed off and lowered her eyes, unable to admit that she had been looking to stop Hiyori, not Ichigo.

Rose stared at her in confusion for a moment before blinking, suddenly understanding. Heaving a sigh, Rose took her under the elbow and led her away from the fight, towards the back.

"Kazuko… listen…" Rose began, rubbing the back of his head and trying, for some odd reason, to sound fatherly. Trying _really hard_ to sound fatherly. When he looked at Kazuko, though, to find her staring up at him with wide, inquisitive eyes, it only seemed to get harder, and he got mixed up in the 'fatherly' lesson he was trying to teach her. "You see, Kazuko, when a man and a woman love each other very much, they…"

Kazuko could only listen as Rose rambled on, her eyes widening the further along his explanation got and her eyes flickering between him and Ichigo and Hiyori. She could only assume that the only reason he was telling her about the 'facts of life' now was because they somehow pertained to Ichigo and Hiyori.

After fifteen minutes of Rose's explanation, Kazuko blinked as he tapered off and apparently finished. "So… Hiyori wants to have Ichigo's baby?"

Rose blinked, "…What?"

"You…" Kazuko blinked, "Brought me over here to say something about me wanting to stop Hiyori from attacking Ichigo… and then you went off on the birds and the bees… so I…" She trailed off, confused.

"Not again." Rose sighed, smacking his forehead, "Every time…" He then shook his head, "Never mind. Forget everything I said about that; look, Ichigo needs this training, and you can't interfere because you're scared for him. Just sit back and contribute what you can, when you can."

"Oooohhh!" Kazuko smiled, "That makes a lot more sense!"

Rose shrugged, "Eh…" When something exploded behind them, they both turned to watch the fight between Ichigo and Hiyori as the latter tried to draw out what the former was trying to avoid.

"So… we just sit back and watch?"

Rose nodded, "Yep."

"And they'll get done eventually?"

"Yep.

"And this has nothing to do with Ichigo putting his baby in Hiyori?"

"…No."

"…Alright."

* * *

Hiyori and Ichigo had been fighting for some time. A long time, in fact. Long enough for the vizard to have spread out slightly to find more comfortable positions, and long enough for Kazuko to have completely collapsed on the floor and fall asleep, sprawled out on her back with her mouth hanging wide open, Rose standing behind her and staring down at her, leaning up against the wall.

After a while, there was a sudden surge of Hollow reiatsu that woke Kazuko, making her sit up abruptly and gasp.

"Ichigo, no!"

The others watched as Kazuko rocketed through the air, zanpakuto drawn, and slammed into Ichigo, driving him out of the grip he had on Hiyori's neck and into the wall, pressing her body against his and holding her zanpakuto to his neck.

"Ichigo!" She shouted when he screeched, the sound inhuman, "Stop!"

Ichigo's head just snapped around, gold and black eyes focusing on her.

Kazuko looked him in the eye, "Stop!"

The Hollow eyes just narrowed, and then a hand came up from below, grabbing her face and pushing her away. It was all Kazuko could do to keep a hold of Hayajihime as another hand latched onto the shirt over her stomach, fingers digging into the soft skin as they gripped for the fabric. Ichigo, or rather his Hollow, then lifted her over his head and swung her around, slinging her towards the ground and letting go.

Kazuko slammed, back first, into the ground, bright bursts of light blooming across her vision and intermediate shocks of pain and numbness lacing throughout her nerves, shocking her system into a brief shutdown. Her vision faded, then returned, and when it did Hollow Ichigo was bearing down on her, hand drawn back to slam into her head.

Then Ichigo was off of her, pinned several feet away by every blade that every vizard other than Kazuko and Hiyori had to wield.

Kazuko sat up slowly, closing her eyes when pain sloshed back and forth in her head. After it passed, she turned to Hiyori, who was rubbing her throat wincingly, and asked, "Are you alright, Hiyori?"

"You—" Hiyori stopped to cough, glaring at Kazuko softly, "You idiot. I would… have been fine."

"I know." Kazuko smiled, a pained gesture, "But I had to do something, anyway."

"Satisfied, Hiyori?" Shinji interrupted, standing and moving back when he had shattered Ichigo's mask. "Get it now, Ichigo? Suppressing your Hollow isn't as simple as just focusing your mind and body." He looked down at Ichigo for a moment, then propped his zanpakuto on his shoulder and said, "You passed! We'll pound the way to control your Hollow clear into the core of your soul."

Ichigo just stared at him, then let out a long, low sigh and dropped his head onto the ground.

"Yay, Ichigo!" Kazuko cheered, jumping to her feet and hopping up and down, "You passed! You passed! You passed!"

Ichigo laughed, the other vizard getting off of him and looking between him and Kazuko. He looked up at her, smirking, "Some things don't change, do they Kazuko?"

Kazuko stopped jumping and smiled widely, shaking her head, "Nope! Now, get up so we can stuff you full of cake before Hiyori makes you ride her terrible Super Hiyori Walker!"

"What was that, Kuruyaki?!"

"Nothing!" Kazuko sang, leaping forward and grabbing Ichigo by his collar, dragging him to the room where she kept her secret store of cake and plates. "Eat up!" She commanded, shoving a plate loaded with chocolate, strawberry, vanilla, and angel food cake into his hands, "You're gonna need it!"

The others piled into the room, staring at the cake in shock.

"You hid this from us?!" Shinji shouted after a moment, pointing an accusatory finger at Kazuko, "Why?!"

Kazuko looked at him coyly, "Because you guys abuse me and I don't like it."

Hiyori twitched, "YOU BITCH!" She then flew at Kazuko, grabbing her by the shoulders and shaking her, "IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT, STICK UP FOR YOURSELF! DON'T HOARD THE CAKE!"

"It's… my… cake… to… hoard!" Kazuko shouted, her voice coming in wavering fluxes for each time Hiyori swung her head back and forth, "I'm… the… one… who… buys… the… mix… with… my… money… and… makes… it,… not… you!"

"THAT'S NO REASON!" Hiyori lifted Kazuko and flung her over her shoulder, slamming her into the ground.

Unfortunately, Ichigo had caused more damage than Kazuko had known when he had done that the first time around, and the new abuse from Hiyori made her head spin. When Kazuko didn't jump up right away like she usually did, everyone turned to her, Hiyori wincing slightly when she saw that Kazuko wasn't getting up.

"Hiyori…" Kazuko wheezed, pointing at the short blonde when she looked down at her, "Keep your hands off my cake."


	32. Ichigo's Transformation

Woot! My first story ever to get 100+ reviews! This is awsome! I want to thank everyone who made this possible, including... well... everyone who's reading this! You're all awsome!

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Amalia) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

(Ichigo's Transformation)

"I feel bad for Ichigo…" Kazuko muttered to Rose as she watched her old classmate as his legs pumped back and forth on the Super Hiyori Walker, his face the epitome of annoyance, "That walker really sucks… no pun intended."

Rose, who wasn't paying attention, called out to Love, "Hey, Love, have you listened to that new Prince of Darkness CD?"

Too busy laughing over his manga, Love just shouted back, "Hey, Rose, have you read this week's Jump?"

"No." Rose frowned, "You never let me read it."

Kazuko sighed, flopping down onto the ground in front of the sofa and occupying herself with poking Shinji's hand, which was dangling over the edge.

She heard some outside conversations going on around her, which seemed only to serve to annoy Ichigo further, until he finally snapped and jumped off the walker, chucking it at Hiyori.

Hiyori retaliated by grabbing Shinji by his collar and drug her in front of him so that he took the walker to the head, making the skin split and bleed.

"What the hell was that about?!" Hiyori screamed. "You try something like that again and you're dead, dickhead!"

"Th-that's my line…" Shinji hissed, twitching and glaring up at Hiyori.

"It's _my_ line, damn it!" Ichigo shouted, "You sounded all confident and capable when you said you'd 'pound how to suppress a Hollow' into me. Why the hell are you idiots making me run on this half-assed NordicTrack rip-off for days on end?!"

Everyone looked up from what they were doing, Kazuko sighing and crawling up onto the sofa and taking Shinji's spot, covering her ears so she didn't have to listen to the arguing.

"That's right!" Hiyori shouted, "You're stupid!" Hiyori was screaming as the side door opened, Kuna and Hachi walking in with the day's boxed lunches in grocery bags.

Kazuko sighed and buried her head into a crack between the cushions of the sofa, shaking her head.

_Adolescent twits…_

"**If I have to listen to them much longer…"** The Hollow growled, trailing off and grumbling to herself.

When the arguing intensified, the Kazuko-Hollow growled.

"THAT'S IT!!" Kazuko bellowed, jumping to her feet and glaring at Hiyori and Ichigo as her mask formed on the top of her head, tilted to the side slightly, "BOTH OF YOU SHUT THE FUCK UP!!"

The arguing stopped and everyone fell silent, Shinji narrowing his eyes at Kazuko and slowly saying, "Alexis, give Kazuko her body back."

"As soon as one of you fucktards explains that fucking walker to Berry, I will. I'm _sick_ of listening to this shit because you morons leave him in the dark!" Kazuko-Hollow shouted, "Now someone tell him!"

"Fine." Shinji grunted, turning to Ichigo, "That Special Hiyori Walker—"

"Super!" Hiyori interrupted.

"—is the foundation for future training." Shinji went on, ignoring her, "

Ichigo, who was still staring at Kazuko-Hollow, frowned, "Foundation?"

"We decide what level to start your training at based on how long you can run on it." Shinji elaborated, also looking at Kazuko-Hollow, "Alright, Alexis, you agreed."

Kazuko-Hollow sighed, "Finally." Her mask shattered and the gold and black faded from her eyes, leaving a confused and disoriented Kazuko behind, "Eh?"

"Nothing. Just go lie down." Shinji said, turning back to Ichigo, "Understand?"

Ichigo looked up at him and blinked, "What do you mean 'level'?"

Shinji shrugged, "It's like Hiyori said. Quit complaining and focus on the Special Hiyori Walker."

"Super!" Hiyori interjected again.

Once again, Shinji ignored her and addressed Ichigo, "You'll collapse in three days at the least. Once you do, we'll teach ya how to control your Hollow."

"Are you friggin' serious?!" Ichigo shouted, pointing to the walker, "Forget three days! I could run on that for a week! I can tell after having been on it all day!" He narrowed his eyes and went on, "Obviously, just touching that thing drains a ton of spiritual power, and that's its purpose! You want to calculate how much reiatsu I have based off of how many days I can work on this thing before I pass out, right?! I'm telling you, I could go on for another five days, easy!

"There's no point in testing me like this! Please, just teach me how to control my Hollow transformation! I don't have time to mess around! I can't afford to sit around playing with you vizard!"

"Shut your damn mouth!" Shinji shouted, cutting Ichigo off from furthering his angry monologue.

Kazuko sighed, crossing her arms and shaking her head.

_At least we didn't go through this much trouble._ Hayajihime said with a sigh.

"**Damn straight."** The Hollow grumbled, **"If you had been this confrontational, Kaz, I'd have killed us both."**

"You don't have time?" Shinji muttered, yet still managing to be heard as clearly as if he were shouting, "That's really something coming from a guy who doesn't even know how long it'll take for the Hogyoku to awaken."

This seemed to strike a cord within Ichigo, because his eyes widened and he twitched, "What… what did you say?"

"I said to quit babbling because you don't know anything about changing into a Hollow or the Hogyoku." Shinji repeated, raising his voice and letting his frown grow.

"How?" Ichigo muttered, still shocked, "How did you know about that?"

Shinji scoffed, "I know about all of it. The Hogyoku, the Arrancar, even Sosuke Aizen. I've known about it for years." Shinji paused, then jumped down in front of Ichigo and raised his hand into the teenagers face, smirking as Ichigo struggled to follow his movements, "We'll talk about it later. I thought it'd be a good idea to let you get used to our ways and have your soul blend with ours, but now that I think about it, you can already change into a shinigami and use both your shikai and bankai with amazing speed."

"How… do you know about all of that?" Ichigo muttered, his eyes wide.

"I guess it'll be better to just jump into teaching you how to control your Hollow, like you wanted." Shinji went on, energy gathering into his hand and striking Ichigo in the forehead, "Don't regret it now…"

Kazuko stood back, wringing her hands as the others began to prepare to take Ichigo down into the training area. If things for Ichigo were to go as they had when she had trained just a few weeks prior, they were going to let his Hollow take over his body while he battled it in his soul.

"Comin', Kaz?" Shinji asked as the trapdoor to the training room opened, "We'll need all the help we can get, especially if things get out of hand."

Nervous, Kazuko nodded and squeaked, "Sure!" She then ran after them as they began to walk down the stairs.

"Kazuko." Hiyori shouted back at her, "No matter how bad things get, don't use your bankai. From what we've seen, you can't use it well enough yet."

"You'd be surprised." Kazuko muttered back, thoughts of Shiraku-Onmoraki Hayajihime making her shudder, "But I wouldn't use it, anyway. That thing… is not for frequent use."

In the training arena, Hachi set up a few barriers around Ichigo and everyone spread around the outermost one, Love and Rose explaining to Kazuko from either side of her how the process was going to work.

"Every ten minutes, we switch shifts." Rose began.

"He has to finish mastering it before two hours is up." Love added, nodding, "Otherwise he will be beyond the point of no return."

"What happens after that?" Kazuko asked, fearing the answer.

Rose and Love exchanged glances, the former meeting her eye and shaking his head.

Kazuko tensed, her knuckles turning white as she gripped Hayajihime tightly. "Ichigo…" She turned to the barrier, shuddering as Ichigo's energy fluxed dramatically upward and Lisa walked in, drawing her zanpakuto.

"I am Lisa Yadomaru." She said as she dropped into an offensive stance, "Pleased to meet you."

The others sat back silently, watching as Lisa carefully balanced offense with defense in a way that Ichigo-Hollow couldn't land a fatal blow on her but was still occupied with fighting her. They studied Ichigo-Hollow's movements closely, knowing that soon one of them would have to take their comrade's place.

"I'll go in next." Kensei said, standing and walking to the barrier and waving to Hachi, "Make an opening here, Hachi!"

"Right." Hachi nodded, several small balls of light drifting out of his hands as he clasped them together and a small square opening in the barrier as they did.

Kensei walked in and tossed the stopwatch to Lisa, stepping between her and Hollow-Ichigo as she walked out of the barrier.

"Ten minutes, Kensei, starting now." Lisa called.

"Who'll go after him?" Shinji asked, looking at the others.

Kazuko bit her lip, raising her hand slowly, "I will."

Shinji looked at her seriously, "You sure?"

"Yeah."

"Alright." Shinji nodded, "You have nine minutes and forty seconds; I suggest you study closely."

Kazuko swallowed hard and nodded, her eyes returning to Kensei's fight with Ichigo.

"He's transforming fast." Rose said to her, not taking his eyes from the fight, "And he's using bankai, which seems to make him faster than usual. Your attacks are usually better for long distance, but that will work in your disadvantage here. How good are you at using your tessen for diversion?"

"Okay, I guess…" Kazuko muttered, her grip tightening on her zanpakuto, "I'm usually better at using it to dodge than to attack…"

"Then stick with dodging." Love offered, "And when you do have an opening for an attack, just stick with charging your tessen with energy; don't use 'Kamaitachi'."

"And definitely don't use your bankai." Hiyori shouted, "Taking the time to charge it will only get you killed."

Kazuko swallowed again, drawing her knees up to her chest and watching Ichigo very closely.

In what seemed no time at all, someone was calling out to her, "Kazuko!"

She stood, taking a deep breath as a small rectangle of the barrier in front of her opened and, making sure Hayajihime was tied securely around her waist, Kazuko shot forward, flash stepping and drawing her sword. She drew it against Hollow-Ichigo's stomach as she passed, making sure its attention was completely on her so Kensei could get out.

"Ten minutes, Kazuko!" Someone shouted, Kazuko barely nodding.

Her focus was completely on Ichigo; she didn't even bother to try to identify who had directed the comment at her.

"Let's go, Ichigo!"

The shinigami-Hollow hybrid screeched, disappearing in a flash and reappearing in a similar motion directly in front of her, black blade flashing down.

Kazuko ducked her head and raised Hayajihime, bracing her free hand against the ground as the black zanpakuto crashed against her blade and drove her down. Tilting her sword slightly so the opposing blade slid down hers, Kazuko slipped up in the opposite direction and slid out of the way, jumping back and shouting, "Dance in the wind! Hayajihime!"

Ichigo-Hollow tried to take advantage of Kazuko's temporarily weaponless state, but the shockwave released by Hayajihime in her transformation was enough to hold him off until Kazuko had her tessen in hand, though not long enough to properly stave the blow of the black zanpakuto as it crashed down, leaving a horizontal gash down Kazuko's front.

She hissed in pain and her Hollow was angered, temporarily swaying her mind into retaliating immediately.

"Kamaitachi!" The tessen flew forward and Ichigo-Hollow dodged it, subsequently dodging a majority of the small, crescent blue energy blades that followed but was unable to dodge a few, most of which resulted in superficial wounds but one landing a deep gash in the crook of his neck, apparently doing some damage from the blood that spurted from the wound.

Shuddering at what she had done, Kazuko reached out and caught her tessen as it flew back to her, flipping over Ichigo-Hollow when he roared and ran straight for her. Landing on her feet behind him, she spun around and lashed out with her fan, slicing him across the back before falling to the ground and rolling out of the way of another attack.

Angered, the Hollow raised its blade over its head and swung down, a band of red-rimmed black energy emerging from the arc and flying straight for Kazuko. Still on her back, all she could do in her defense was wave Hayajihime over her head and send a band of blue-grey energy back, which only managed to splice the attack. The rest hit her, leaving her covered in deep gashes.

"**Do I have to take over again?"** Alexis growled, hissing when Kazuko jumped to her feet and nearly tripped over herself, **"Careful idiot!"**

"I got it." Kazuko grumbled, flash stepping right in front of Ichigo-Hollow and smacking him across the face with Hayajihime.

The Hollow shook its head and stumbled back, blinking at Kazuko indignantly.

_Now is not the time to be playing, Kazuko!_ Hayajihime berated.

"I can't think with both of you shouting at me!" Kazuko shouted, flash stepping back when Ichigo-Hollow shook his head again and growled at her.

"**Nice going, genius. You pissed it off."**

"Kazuko!" Rose shouted from behind her, "Time! Get out!"

Shuddering as he shot passed her, Kazuko turned and ran out the rectangular opening he had entered through, falling onto her side when she was in the clear.

As she lay on the ground, panting, Shinji walked over to her and stared down at her, kicking her knee gently, "All things considered, not too bad. You could have come out with fewer injuries, but I'll chock that up to ya being inexperienced with fighting against shinigami and vizard."

Kazuko groaned and looked up at him, "Don' let me do that again."

Shinji smirked, "You got it."

Sighing, Kazuko flipped onto her stomach and covered her head with one arm, throwing the hand holding Hayajihime in front of her face and closing her eyes.

'Note to self; never make Ichigo angry.'


	33. Her

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Amalia) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

(Her)

"Yay, Ichigo!" Kazuko shouted, running to Ichigo and hugging him, ignoring his groans of pain, "You did it! You beat your Hollow!"

"Thanks, Kazuko." Ichigo wheezed, "Now could you let go? I think some of the ribs in that area might be broken…" He groaned slightly, then fell into a sitting position on the ground.

Kazuko jumped back, "Eep! Hachi, help him!"

"Right." Hachi nodded, walking over to Ichigo and sitting beside him, his hands charging as he held them over the newly-strengthened vizard's injuries.

"Now what?" Ichigo grunted, looking up at Shinji.

Shinji quirked a brow and glanced at Kazuko, who looked at Ichigo and smiled, "Endurance training."

"Ehhhhhh?" Ichigo tilted his head, one brow quirking.

"Endurance training!" Kazuko repeated, jumping to her feet, "You gotta practice hold that cool mask of yours on as long as you can!" When Hiyori began to walk towards Ichigo's back, Kazuko smiled nervously and started to back away, "And this is where I leave you in good hands. Have fun, Ichigo!" She then turned and ran, wincing when there was a sickening crack and Ichigo howled.

"YOU LITTLE BITCH!"

"PAY ATTENTION THEN, DICKHEAD!"

Sighing, Kazuko stopped running and spun on her heel, flopping down onto her butt beside Kuna and watching as Hiyori proceeded to 'train' Ichigo. 'This is going to be _oodles_ of fun… Hehe, 'oodles'."

"Who wants ramen?!"

"I do!"

"Get to cookin', Kaz!"

* * *

Kazuko was in the middle of cooking a giant, six pound pot of ramen when she felt the barrier around the warehouse ripple. The energy was enough to make Kazuko immediately forget the ramen and walk into the main room, smiling at the person who walked in.

"Hello, Orihime."

The girl, who had been looking around, jumped and stared at Kazuko, "Amalia?"

"Kazuko." She corrected, still smiling, "Same person, different name. Here to see Ichigo?"

Orihime blinked, "How—"

"Why else?" Was all Kazuko asked before taking a step back, "Coming?"

After a moment, Orihime smiled and nodded, "Okay!"

Leading her down the stairs, Kazuko twitched when she noticed the awkward silence that had settled over the training room and the looks the vizard were throwing her and Orihime.

When Kensei glared at her, Kazuko sighed and zoned out, barely hearing Orihime laugh about going to the bathroom or something like that. She averted her eyes as the vizard stopped staring at Orihime and started staring at her, apparently ticked at her for letting a human into the warehouse.

'No like I let her in, anyway.' Kazuko grumbled sulkily to herself, 'She walked through the barrier; if it's anyone's fault, it's Hachi's.'

_Quit sulking. It's not becoming._

**Do you have to be such a stiff **_**all**_** the time about manners?**

Kazuko was about to snap at both of them when a sudden pang burst in her mind and shot through her body.

_Ama!!—_ Hayajihime was cut off. The Hollow didn't even get a chance to speak.

The air suddenly dense, Kazuko tilted her head up and looked into the sky of the training grounds, breathing heavily. Without further ado, Kazuko turned sharply on her heel and walked out of the training room, pulling her PEZ dispenser out of her pocket and popping a pill.

"Stay here and don't tell anyone I'm gone." She ordered the artificial soul now inhabiting her gigai. "If they found out, you know nothing."

The artificial soul, a bland thing with no personality and a habit for collecting pocket lint, nodded and walked to the kitchen, getting to work on the now burned ramen.

Kazuko stared around the warehouse for a moment, her mind going into overdrive as it worked to memorize every nook and cranny. 'But I don't have to do that.' She thought, fighting the process, 'Because I'm coming back.'

She wasn't convinced.

She thought about taking one last look at the others down in the training room, then decided against it and left the warehouse, flash stepping away as soon as she had walked through Hachi's barrier.

'I'm going back…' She thought as she ran to the force that was pulling her, sucking her in, 'I'm going back, I'm going back, I'm going back…

'Please, let me go back.'

* * *

Kazuko stood rigidly in a clearing a ways out in the forest. She had no clue what she was waiting for, but she knew she had to be here; she just _had_ to be.

Her hands wrung together as she waited, back ramrod straight, and mind completely focused on searching for the energy pulse that had called her, then abruptly disappeared.

'Why did it feel so famili—'

"Well, well, well… Shit."

Kazuko tensed and spun around, hand flying to the hilt of her zanpakuto and eyes locking on the figure that had appeared right behind her.

He was tall and lithe, with a slightly muscular upper build and his legs obscured by a billowy white hakama. Shocking blue eyes, the same color as his hair, were locked on her, a wide, wicked smirk on his face.

"Fuck." He shook his head, "She was right. You really fucking did show."

"She?" Kazuko muttered, the hand on her hilt tensing slightly.

Blue man noticed this, his smirk growing even more dangerous. "You gonna draw that? Eh? Go ahead; I'm always lookin' for any reason to kick someone's ass."

"…You aren't supposed to fight me?" Kazuko asked, her hand relaxing slightly.

"Fuck no." The man sneered, "You're wanted alive and… 'unscathed', I think it was worded."

Kazuko blinked at this, "I know I'm assuming, but you hardly seem like the kind of person they'd send to bring something back unscathed."

"I know, right?" He rolled his eyes, "Unfortunately, _she's_ my Fraccion, so the responsibility is mine." When Kazuko took a step back, he narrowed his eyes and growled, "Listen, brat, I've been ordered to try to take you back nice and easy, but if you fight I won't hesitate to fucking slice you to shit."

She tensed at this, then dropped her hand completely from the hilt of her zanpakuto and nodded. She had to know who this '_she_' was. "Alright."

Blue man scowled, disappointed, then turned and glared at the space in front of him, the air seeming to tear open like a wound. He jerked his head at it and growled for Kazuko to "Get through", waiting for her to step in before following and closing the rift behind them.

Kazuko closed her eyes against the feel of her veins turning to ice and the contents of her stomach freezing into slush, nauseated by the cold hand that gripped her diaphragm and jerked her forward.

Then, as abruptly as it was there, the cold was gone, and Kazuko opened her eyes slowly, tensing as her senses expanded and new, dark energies washed over her.

They were Hollow, she could tell, the dual rows of nine people in front of her; ten when Blue man joined them. At the end of the rows, straight down the center, was a high, white throne with none other than Sosuke Aizen perched in the seat, one leg crossed over the other and his head resting in the palm of his hand, the elbow of which was propped up against the arm of the stone seat.

He was smirking serenely down at her, sparing a glance at Blue man and lightly commenting, "I am surprised and proud, Grimmjow. You managed to refrain from even touching her, didn't you?"

Blue man, Grimmjow, just set his jaw and glared at the Aizen's feet.

"Kazuko." Aizen called, making her jump and turn back to him. He smiled at her and beckoned with one hand, "Come."

She responded immediately, walking forward and keeping her eyes trained on the hand supporting his face rather than his eyes. She knew something bad would happen if she looked into his eyes…

Ten feet from the base of his throne, in the center of the powerful humanoid Hollows, she stopped, eyes still fixated on his hand.

"This," Aizen began, apparently addressing the people making up the rows around her, "Is Kazuko Kuruyaki; a vizard. She is on the opposite end of the spectrum from you; while you are Hollow with Shinigami powers, she is Shinigami with Hollow powers. Tell me, Kazuko," Her eyes flickered to his briefly, wincing at his smile, "Have you mastered your Hollow?"

Kazuko paused before answering, "She wouldn't like to say so, Captain Aizen."

Aizen's smirk grew, "I can imagine she wouldn't. And it's 'Lord' Aizen now, Kazuko."

"Lord Aizen." She corrected, her eyes dropping to her feet. She wasn't about to fight him; he was far more powerful than she was.

"…Do you plan to kill me, Kazuko?" Aizen asked suddenly, making everyone in the room tense and the eyes of every person in the columns on either side of her lock on her hands and her zanpakuto.

"…If I were planning, would it matter?" Kazuko asked, "Any movement I make at this point would be met with such force that the result wouldn't even be able to be labeled 'overkill'."

Aizen chuckled, "True, true. …Tell me, Kazuko, why did you come so easily?"

"Why was I brought here?" She flinched as the air around her crackled threateningly.

"Answer my question first, Kazuko."

"… Her."

"Because you know or because you want to know?"

"Want."

"Can you not imagine?" Kazuko looked back up at him to find him smirking down at her softly, a sly glint in his eye. "Think about it; where are you?"

She thought, then smiled widely and raised one fist into the air, "I haven't the foggiest!" Kazuko could almost hear the others around her wanting to fall over in exasperation.

Aizen, though, just went on smiling. "Think, Kazuko. You're a bright girl; far brighter than you make yourself out to be."

Kazuko's smile faltered, then faded completely as her arm fell back to her side and she answered, "Hueco Mundo; the Hollow World."

"Correct." Aizen nodded, "More specifically, my castle within Hueco Mundo; Los Noches."

"The Nights." Kazuko muttered, shifting her eyes away when Aizen nodded again. She paused, then said, "Sir… it's not too late."

Aizen blinked, his smile dropping, "I beg your pardon."

"I said, Captain Sosuke Aizen, that it's not too late." Kazuko abandoned all reserve and met his eyes, going on, "For you, Captain Ichimaru, or Captain Tosen. You may get into a lot of trouble, but you still might be able to get out of it! Your squads need you, Captain! Your lieutenants need you! Think about how torn up, how destroyed, poor Momo must be! Stop this! Go back, please!"

"Are you done?"

Kazuko flinched and lowered her eyes at the icy edge in Aizen's voice, clenching her hands at her sides when she felt the air around her begin to crackle again. Then it came crashing down; the reiatsu.

It seared her veins like liquid fire and burst through every pour on her body, taloned fingers scraping across the surface of her brain before digging into the tissue and tearing out chunks. It melted her feet to the ground and shot up her legs, weakening her and dropping her to her knees. Millions of sharp, blade-like tendrils drew over her body, leaving her feeling draining blood that wasn't really spilt and sliced bones that had never been touched. Her bones cracked without breaking and her marrow was sucked dry though it remained.

Through it all, she slammed her eyes shut and gritted her teeth, screaming, "HAYA!!"

Then, the pain was gone and she pitched forward, a pair of thin arms draped in cool silk wrapping around her and pulling her close to a comforting body.

"It's alright, Kazuko." Hayajihime muttered to her, "It's over."

"Ah, Miss Hayajihime." Aizen said, the calm cheer in his voice giving no evidence towards any exhaustion he felt for the massive amount of reiatsu he had just pumped out. "So good to see you again."

"Aizen." Hayajihime called out coldly, helping Kazuko to her feet and holding her until she was steady, then turning to the man and crossing her arms, "If you don't mind, we would like to get over meeting this 'her' before anyone seriously begins to notice that we're gone."

"But of course." Aizen nodded, smiling, "Though I must wonder, what makes you think that you're going back?"

Hayajihime tensed, her anger making Kazuko's hand grip her zanpakuto and draw the blade, barely noticing as a few of the bodies around her set their hands on the hilts of their own blades.

Their action, though, wasn't necessary.

"Drop the sword."

She didn't need to be told twice. All she heard was the voice, the command in the tone was enough for her to react.

Kazuko dropped Hayajihime, the zanpakuto's humanoid manifestation disappearing in a flash with a look of horror on her face.

"Remove your sheath, place the blade inside, then push the zanpakuto to Lord Aizen."

She worked quickly, untying the sea green scabbard from her waist and kneeling, sheathing the sword and placing it on the ground. Without any hesitation, she pushed the sword strongly and stood as it slid away, clattering loudly against the stone base of Aizen's throne.

"Good girl." The voice now whispered into her ear, a pair of arms snaking around her waist and settling there. "Very good, Amalia."

Kazuko lowered her head and closed her eyes tightly.

"Is that any way to greet a friend?"

She inhaled sharply, then stepped out of the arms and spun around, a large smile planting itself on her face, "Hey, Alexis!"

Alexis smiled back, "Hello, Amalia."


	34. How to Degrade Oneself

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Amalia) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

(How to Degrade Oneself)

Kazuko wasn't happy about this.

She wasn't happy one little bit; her zanpakuto had been taken, she was defenseless in the center of Los Noches, and now her should-be dead friend was alive again and dishing out orders.

No, she had _nothing_ to be happy about.

"Halibel will be taking your zanpakuto." Alexis said, slipping passed Kazuko and walking to Aizen's throne, picking up Hayajihime, "And since I expressed my sincere doubts that you would do well in an environment in which you would be induced to stress, not only because of your childish demeanor but also because you are completely incapable of taking care of yourself without your zanpakuto, you won't be staying with me in Grimmjow's sector. I think… Stark or Ulquiorra would be better." Alexis paused, looking up at Aizen for confirmation.

Aizen nodded, "You have been promised full reign over Kazuko's stay here, Alexis. Suggest whatever you will. All you have to worry about is getting Kazuko to agree."

"There won't be any problem with that." Alexis smiled, glancing over her shoulder at Kazuko, "After all, I was given reign over her for a reason, right?"

They were taunting her; she could tell by their tones. They were pointing out her weakness, her helplessness, her weak will.

There was no way she was going to disobey any order Alexis gave her. After all, Kazuko was to blame for Alexis's current Hollow state.

"Let's go, Ama." Alexis said suddenly, grabbing Kazuko by the arm and steering her towards the door, handing a blonde woman with dark skin and large breasts Hayajihime as they passed her, "You're going to be here for a while, so we might as well get you out of those _disgusting_ human clothes; they smell terrible."

"Wait…" Kazuko looked back with wide eyes, "Haya…" The zanpakuto was being held delicately by the woman, Halibel, who was also taking the opportunity to inspect the sword.

"What?" Alexis asked, pausing and looking back.

"Hayajihime." Kazuko looked back at Alexis, her eyes wide, "What'll happen to her? What'll happen to her of we're separated?"

Alexis blinked, then began to smile slowly. "Well, I can imagine that it'll be quite uncomfortable, possibly painful, but that's just something you have to live with, isn't it?" She crooned.

Kazuko stared at Alexis, then started shaking as she tried to take a step back. "Haya?" She hadn't imagined that it would go quite like this. "Haya?!" Alexis took her wrist roughly and started to drag her to the door. Kazuko dug her heels into the ground, sneakers squeaking. "Haya!!" This definitely wasn't how she had imagine it happening. "Hayajihime!"

"Amalia!" Alexis snapped, whirling around and grabbing Kazuko's neck with her free hand, "You precious _Haya_ will be fine, alright?! That's why she's with Halibel! You, on the other hand, won't be if you don't quit struggling!"

Kazuko looked into Alexis's eyes, fearing the bitterness in the icy blue. Alexis felt resentment towards her, that much was obvious, but she couldn't tell how much. Enough to hurt her, that was for sure, but was there more than that? Was there enough to maul her? Enough to kill her? Kazuko would certainly understand if there was.

Seeing that Kazuko had stopped struggling, Alexis loosened her grip on her throat and asked, "Are you done now?"

Kazuko nodded, glancing over her shoulder at Halibel, "Yeah…" She turned back to Alexis and lowered her head, eyes on her feet, "Sorry."

"Let's go." Alexis sighed, turning again and yanking Kazuko to the door.

Kazuko gave in, slumping forward and glancing over her shoulder again, guiltily. She stared at her zanpakuto in the older woman's hands, then looked up at Halibel, blinking to see the woman staring back at her. She could have sworn the woman nodded to her slightly, assuring, before Kazuko was dragged out the doors and she could see Aizen and his Hollows no more.

She felt a measure of relief; it looked like this 'Halibel' was going to take good care of Hayajihime.

"Where is that stupid dressing room again?" Alexis muttered, leading them down several halls, "You'd think that with them turning out naked Arrancar every day they'd bother to put it somewhere convenient, but noooo… They gotta hide it somewhere obscure…"

"Aaaah!" Kazuo groaned, dropping to her knees and grasping at her chest.

Alexis immediately let her go, turning and looking down at her dispassionately as she dug at her chest and screamed.

"A-alexis!"

"Let's go." Alexis growled, grabbing Kazuko's arm and yanking her back to her feet. "We'll visit your precious _Haya_ later if it looks like you're going to die."

Kazuko moaned, keeping her hand pressed firmly to her chest in hope to keep the stabbing pain at bay, though it didn't help. The further away Alexis pulled her from Hayajihime, the more it felt like her heart was being stretched, pulled painfully taunt and being laid bare to dry underneath a hot desert sun. Kazuko had rarely seen a shinigami separated from it's zanpakuto for great distances or for long periods of time, and now she knew why. It was painful.

"Get in here." Alexis snapped, opening a door and throwing Kazuko inside, "Find something to wear."

Kazuko tried to walk, but her heart panged sharply and she cried out, stumbling and bracing herself against the wall.

There was a heavy sigh and the sharp clicking of heels as Alexis stormed into the room, shuffling through fabric, pausing, then storming to Kazuko and grabbing her upper arm.

"Let's go."

Shocked, Kazuko stared at the back of Alexis's hair, actually looking at her for the first time since she had arrived in Las Noches.

The human Alexis had had short, pixie cut blonde hair, blue eyes, a tanned complexion, and a heavy walk, somewhat like a man would walk.

This Alexis was similar, yet different, like Hollow-Alexis. While Hollow-Alexis had shoulder-length metallic blue hair, the real Alexis had the same old pixie cut, only her hair was dark blue, almost black. Her skin wasn't tanned like when she was human, or alabaster like Hollow-Alexis. It was an even balance, though it did lean a bit to the darker side. Human Alexis had had a masculine gait, Hollow-Alexis seemed to glide. This Alexis stormed when she walked, hands clenched at her sides and her heels pounding against the floor, the action only emphasized by the heeled shoes she was wearing. One thing they all shared was their eyes; they all had the same, icy blue eyes, though this Alexis held even more anger in her eyes than Hollow-Alexis had.

Kazuko observed all of this silently, managing to bite back her pain as Alexis drug her further and further away from Hayajihime. The pain only continued increasing, though, so Kazuko had to bite her lip and clamp her eyes shut, focusing completely on her breathing in order to block everything else out.

She was eventually snapped out of it, though, by a sharp slap to the face.

"Ama, wake up and get dressed!"

Kazuko's eyes snapped open and she jumped, pressing a hand to her sore cheek. "Eh?"

Alexis rolled her eyes, shoving a bundle of clothes into Kazuko's arms and pushing her through a door. "And don't touch anything! Just because it's my bathroom doesn't mean you have free reign!"

The door was slammed in her face and Kazuko found herself alone, in a white stone bathroom with a bundle of white clothes in her arm, looking forward to a bleak time in a white hell.

'But a well deserved one.' Kazuko sighed, turning away from the door and setting the clothes on the counter and undressing.

Several moments later, an exasperated Alexis was banging on the door, "Are you done _yet_?!" She stepped back as the door opened and Kazuko walked out.

The clothes Alexis had grabbed from the racks on the walls had consisted of a white robe-like top with sleeves that detached just before the curve of her shoulders and were strapped around the upper arms, trailing down passed her hands with great, belled sleeves. A loose white hakama tied around her waist, underneath the top, and over both was tied a thick, black sash.

"Better." Alexis nodded, sneering, "Now your stench isn't completely revolting."

Kazuko lowered her eyes, hugging her clothes to her chest, "Umm— Hey!" She objected as Alexis snatched the clothes out of her arms. Kazuko reached for them feebly, "Those're—"

"Absolutely disgusting." Alexis cut her off, wrinkling her nose as she stared down at the clothes. "Since you're under my watch, _I'd_ be the one who would have to hold on to them, not whoever's bunking you. There's no way in hell this nasty shit is taking up the space in even my trash bin." She thought for a moment, then turned and walked to the door, "It'll have to be burned. Stay here and _do not touch __**anything**_." The door slammed behind her.

After staring at the closed door for a moment, Kazuko turned and looked at the rest of the room, noting that beyond a low table and a futon the room was much like the rest of Las Noches; barren and white.

Sighing, Kazuko flopped down onto the floor and looked around, fiddling with the sleeves of her top. At that moment, someone knocked on the door.

"Miss Alexis?"

"Captain Tosen?" Kazuko jumped to her feet, looking at the door.

There was a pause, then Kaname Tosen called back, "Miss Kazuko? Is Miss Alexis with you?"

"No. She went to burn my clothes."

"…Are you decent?"

"Yeah."

"…" The door opened slightly, "Come with me. Lord Aizen wishes to see you."

"Okay!" Kazuko ran over to the door, opening it and smiling up at Tosen, "Let's go! …" She paused, frowning, "But what about Alexis?"

"She will be informed." Tosen answered, his head tilting down to her, "Now, please come with me."

As they walked, Kazuko decided to take the opportunity to talk to one of the more levelheaded people she had met so far and as a few questions.

"Captain—"

"Tosen." He interrupted. "I am no longer a captain, Miss Kazuko."

She sighed, "Mr. Tosen… just who are the people Lord Aizen has working for him?"

Tosen was silent for a moment, then asked, "Kazuko, do you know what the Arrancar are?"

She frowned, "As far as I could tell, some high level of Hollow."

"Correct." Tosen nodded, "The Arrancar are Hollows who have had their masks broken. This process, called shinigamification, allows them to unlock their potential and become more powerful. If they are powerful enough, some of them will even form zanpakuto, though the Arrancar zanpakuto only reverts them to their original, Hollow form rather than increasing a weapon independent of their physical form, as releasing a zanpakuto will do for we shinigami… or, in your case, vizard."

"Oh…" Kazuko blinked, "I… I think I get it…"

Tosen nodded again, "The ten Arrancar you saw when you had your initial meeting with Lord Aizen are known as the Espada, and they are the ten most powerful Arrancar in all of Hueco Mundo. Your friend, Alexis, is an Arrancar, herself, and she is the Fraccion, or a personal warrior, of the Sexta, or Sixth, Espada, Grimmjow Jeagerjaques, the Espada who went to the Human World to retrieve you."

Kazuko nodded, "Okay, I understand that, but… why am I here?"

"Lord Aizen, for obvious reasons, already knows how to approach fighting shinigami." Tosen answered, "But there are other forces he may have to face, and one of them is the vizard. You are the vizard he had easiest access to, through Alexis, so you were the obvious choice. He knows that as long as he has Alexis nearby to give you orders, you will do almost anything he asks of you."

Kazuko lowered her head, clenching her hands as she walked. Tosen's free admittance of Aizen's plans for her made it painfully obvious that they were already well aware of the fact that they had her pinned, and that so long as they didn't make any outrageous demands of her she would be staying.

She did, after all, owe Alexis that much.

The rest of the walk was spent in silence, and when Tosen finally led her through a set of doors Kazuko found herself back in the throne room she had first arrived in, the same people standing in the same locations, with the addition of Gin Ichimaru standing at the base of Aizen's throne, grin as wide as ever.

"Thank you, Kaname." Aizen nodded to Tosen, smiling as he and Kazuko walked in. "Miss Kazuko, I see Alexis spared no time in getting you settled in."

"Nope, she didn't!" Kazuko plastered yet another false smile on her face, walking a step behind Tosen as they made their way further into the room. "She's off burning my old stuff as we speak. …Not that I'm complaining. I gotta say, this is some high quality material!" She stopped in the middle of the room, looking down and messing with a sleeve cuff, "I swear, what is this? Some kind of polyester and silk blend? No… it's more like under armor, so it's gotta be like, what? A really high grade of cotton? It's nice and slick and cool, and it—"

"Miss Kazuko, I would appreciate it if you would show my dear Espada your Hollow transformation."

Kazuko twitched, losing her train of thought as she stared up at Aizen. Then, a thought hit her. "You know, the only physical change I see in your appearance is your hair… you slicked it back when you were leaving, right? So… did that simple action make you evil? If I messed up your hair, or trimmed it, or even shaved it, would you go back to the old, nice Captain Aizen?"

The room was silent and Aizen blinked, "I beg your pardon?"

"…Lord Sosuke Aizen, for your own redemption, I must shave your head bald."

"…Kazuko, I am willing to completely forget you ever suggested that if you would please put on your mask now."

She nodded immediately, "Yes, of course." Heaving a sigh, she lowered her head and pressed her hands to her face, lifting her head again and running her hands up her face and over her head, her mask forming as she did.

Raptor mask formed, Kazuko grabbed the chin of the mask and pushed it up so it was sitting on top of her head, staring up at Aizen with her now gold iris, black sclera eyes. To her left, she saw a faint blue-grey glow of Hayajihime, who was strapped to the side of Halibel.

"As you can see," Aizen began narrating, "The transformation for a vizard from shinigami to Hollow, a process called hollowification, changes the vizard's energy from being simply shinigami by adding a particular Hollow aura to the reiatsu. It also augments their shinigami abilities with Hollow powers, increasing their stamina, speed and strength, and also allows them to use cero. Kazuko?"

Not needing any more prompting, Kazuko sighed and raised her hand, a pinpoint of red energy forming and quickly growing to cherry size, where she stopped the growth.

"A vizard's zanpakuto," Aizen went on, "Functions in the same way a shinigami's does, meaning that even though Kazuko has Hollow powers and has a zanpakuto, she does not have Resurreccion, but rather a shikai and a bankai. Halibel, if you would."

Kazuko looked at the tall, graceful woman as she approached, untying and presenting the hilt of Hayajihime.

"Kazuko," Aizen's voice stopped her as she reached for the hilt, "Please, only draw your zanpakuto if you plan on playing along with the demonstration. If you plan on resisting, you will be killed, and that is a situation I'd rather avoid this early on."

After a brief pause, Kazuko nodded and drew Hayajihime, shuddering as she felt her chest tingle, like a healing wound does, as they reconnected.

_Kazuko,_ Hayajihime rasped, _Thank the heavens you're alright…_

"Haya…" She hugged the zanpakuto close, unable to hold back the tremor in her voice.

There was silence for two minutes, then Aizen's polite, soft voice called, "Miss Kazuko, if you will."

She nodded slowly, waiting for Halibel to back away before holding her sword out in vertically in front of her, running her hand up the curved, blunt back of the sword, muttering, "Dance in the wind, Hayajihime."

The sword shattered and swirled around for a moment, reforming in its tessen shikai.

"This is called 'shikai'; the initial release of a shinigami's, or in this case a vizard's, zanpakuto. Hayajihime, a wind-type zanpakuto, takes the form of a tessen, or war fan. Many shinigami…" And the lesson went on.

Kazuko remained stationary and quiet, each moment Aizen spoke with her as his example stabbing into her heart.

It was demoralizing.

It was embarrassing.

It was degrading.

But, as Kazuko saw it, it was no more than she deserved.

Kazuko's will was Alexis's will, and Alexis would tell Kazuko to do whatever Aizen told Alexis to tell Kazuko to do. Taking orders from Alexis or from Aizen… either way, she would end up doing the same thing.

And there was nothing she could do to fight it.

All she could do was sit back, hold on to her zanpakuto for as long as she could, and pray for a swift end.


	35. Bunking With

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Amalia) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

(Bunking with…)

"It's a shame you don't know your bankai." Aizen casually commented, gesturing to the cup that had been set in front of Kazuko, "Tea?"

"Thank you." Kazuko nodded, taking the tea and sipping at it. She could not tell Aizen about her bankai. She wouldn't; that much she had sworn on to Hayajihime before they had been separated again at the end of Aizen's lesson.

Aizen nodded, sipped at his own tea, then set the cup down and clasped his hands. "Still, despite having not learned bankai, your reiatsu does suggest special training. Have you begun your bankai training?"

"I dunno." Kazuko shrugged, "I only did what the others told me to when they were training me for my mask. If they were doing anything else I really wouldn't know."

"I see." He was silent for a moment, then sighed, "No matter. What is of concern right now is your boarding situation… Stark's Fraccion, Lilinette, has asked that you be placed under their care. She seemed rather excited about the idea, and since Stark is not burdened by any other duties at the moment it has been decided that, for now, that would be the best course of action."

"What about Alexis?"

Aizen stared at her for a moment, taking the opportunity to take another sip of tea before answering, "Grimmjow and his Fraccion with be busy in the coming month in the Human World. Much of the time will be spent preparing, and they will have little time or patience to be spent having you underfoot. However, Miss Alexis has requested that she have some time with you so that she may… visit and become reacquainted with you."

When Aizen said 'visit and become reacquainted with you', Kazuko's mind automatically filled in 'affirm her position as tyrant over you'. She could already tell her 'visits' with Alexis weren't going to be pleasant.

Kazuko spent a moment in silence, staring at her cup of tea before she picked it up again to drink. The whole time, she could feel Aizen's eyes on her, studying her.

"Lilinette will be here shortly to pick you up." The ex-Captain said suddenly, calmly standing and nodding, "Know also, Kazuko, that there is a war coming, and that I may very well expect you to continue playing your role; which, I must say, you have so far done excellently."

She lowered her head, eyes fixed firmly on her hands clasped in her lap, knuckles white.

"Thank you for your time, but I must now take my leave. Las Noches will not run itself." Aizen's soft, dangerous voice crooned, almost silent footsteps tapping lightly as he walked to the door.

"Thank you for the tea…" Kazuko rasped as the door shut behind him, her eyes clenched shut so tightly that pinpricks of tears peeked out from between the lids.

She sat there for a period of time she did not care to measure, an Arrancar coming in at one point or another to gather the cold tea and wipe down the table before leaving again.

Then, she jumped when a small hand set on her shoulder, whirling around and almost falling when she was met with the face of a young girl with chin length light green hair and pink eyes.

"Hi!" The girl greeted jovially, "I'm Lilinette. You're Amalia, right? Or was it the other name? 'K'-something…"

"Kazuko…" Kazuko corrected.

Lilinette blinked, tilting her head, "Ka-zu-ko…" She smiled, "I think I like that name better." The girl then stood straight, still smiling, "Well, you're going to be staying we me and Stark in Stark's sector of the castle." She paused, her smile turning into a smirk, "You wanna come now, or do you wanna wait for Lord Aizen to come back so you can be miserable some more?"

Kazuko blinked, a bit shocked.

Lilinette giggled and rolled her eyes, "Fine, masochist." She then turned and began to walk away.

Kazuko's mouth opened, then closed, opened, then closed again, and then she jumped to her feet and ran after the young Arrancar as she opened the door, "Wait!"

The green-haired girl paused, throwing a grin over her shoulder before facing forward and walking on, giggling as Kazuko ran to catch up.

"Sooo…" Lilinette began after a moment, spinning on her heel until she was walking backwards, grinning, "You know Alexis, huh?"

"Yeeeeees?" Kazuko reluctantly admitted, wary of the look in the shorter girl's eye as she had asked.

"Good friends?" Lilinette went on, her face now deadpanned, "Even after what she did to you by bringing you here?"

Kazuko tensed, then blinked and looked at Lilinette's uniform, "Aren't you _cold_ in just that?! And jeez, what are you? Twelve? Thirteen?" She frowned, "You need at least a pair of shorts… preferably long ones…"

Lilinette quirked a brow, "Is that your attempt at changing the subject? Pretty obvious, don't you think?"

"…Alexis…" Kazuko sighed, lowering her eyes, "She's…"

"Hey, Stark!" Lilinette said suddenly.

Kazuko tensed again, looking up and blinking at the tall, gloomy-looking man with a necklace of what appeared to be teeth standing a ways away, staring at them lazily.

"Sorry, Kazuko." Lilinette turned back to Kazuko, face still deadpanned as she asked, "What was it you were saying?"

She looked between them, the two Arrancar; one a high-ranking Espada and the other his Fraccion. They were both servants of Aizen, so she didn't know how much she could trust them. Still… there was something in Stark's stance, and in Lilinette's sudden, deadpanned actions that made her wonder…

"Alexis is not the person I used to know." Kazuko admitted, "And she is definitely not the person I first became friends with."

"Why, then?" Lilinette pressed, asking the obvious question that many of those who knew of Kazuko's situation were probably wondering. Why did she come?

After a moment, Kazuko looked at the wall and admitted, "I accepted something that was taken from her… and because of that she became what she is now. This her is my fault… and I owe it to the old her to do whatever this her asks of me."

The hall was silent.

"Well, then!" Lilinette started, smiling again, though this time it held a measure of… pity, "Let's go get you settled in, huh? You can bunk with me! It'll be nice not to sleep alone for once."

The three took off down the hall, silently at first.

Then, Stark said, "I'll talk to Halibel and get your zanpakuto for you." When Kazuko looked up at him, shocked, he glanced down at her and went on, "Only so long as you swear not to escape. Much as I hate keeping hostages and enlisting prisoners of war, it is what Lord Aizen wants."

Many emotions, the strongest being gratitude, rushed through Kazuko, but she held most of it back and just smiled at him, widely, "Thank you."

"Ah-ha!" Lilinette jumped in front of Kazuko and pointed at her, smiling, herself, "I _knew_ you had a real smile in you! You're just too airheaded _not_ to!"

Kazuko twitched, almost falling over, "What?!"

Lilinette giggled, smiling mischievously, "We're going to have a _lot_ of fun."

Stark groaned, smacking his forehead, "Great. More lost sleep…"

This comment incited a violent reaction from Lilinette, who pounced on Stark and began to beat him, screaming about his 'never-ending sleepiness'. Stark did little in retaliation, choosing to stick with whining and pathetic attempts to brush the small, angry Fraccion off, eventually finding neither pitiful attempt worth the effort and simply giving up.

Kazuko watched all this pressed as close to the wall as possible, smiling nervously but happily.

Maybe, just maybe, things here wouldn't be too terrible.

* * *

Kazuko quickly had her hopes dashed.

"Amalia here?" Alexis's tense, angry voice asked from the other side of the door Lilinette was holding open.

Kazuko, who had been sitting and listening to Lilinette attempt to explain the Arrancar hierarchy (but failing miserably because of her student's inability to create numeral charts in her head), jumped to her feet, brushing herself off as Lilinette opened the door a bit more and let Alexis walk, or rather storm, in.

"There you are." Alexis hissed, her eyes narrowing, "Imagine my shock when I return to my room after burning your horrendous human clothes, just to find you gone? Do you have any idea how hard I looked for you? How many Privaron Arrancar I had to beat the shit out of before I got even a _single_ straight answer?!"

Kazuko shuddered, lowering her eyes, "Mr. Tosen said that you would be told… Lord Aizen had to talk to me—" Kazuko was cut off when Alexis flashed in front of her, grabbing her by the throat and hurling her across the room, pinning her to the wall.

"Do. Not. Give. Me. That. Shit." Alexis hissed, her fingers digging into Kazuko's neck, "Lord Aizen gave _me_ control of you. For you, there is no one higher than _me_. I can take away your right to fucking _breathe_ if I wanted to!" She paused, breathing heavily before she went on, "You will listen to me—"

"And _you_, Fraccion Alexissara Garbaaanti Leondra, will listen to your superiors." Stark's lazy drawl cut across the room, making Alexis tense. "Now, drop her."

Alexis paused, then caved, dropping Kazuko unceremoniously onto the ground. Kazuko grasped her neck, sucking in air.

"As long as she is in my sector, she is my responsibility, and thus has asylum." Stark went on, voice never raising and tone never changing. "You cannot hurt her here, and you can only see her during the designated times Lord Aizen has approved of. After all, you are busy with other matters with your own Espada, are you not?"

Out of the corner of her eye, Kazuko saw Alexis bristle and clench her hands, already pale knuckles turning deathly white.

"Now is not one of your designated visiting hours." Stark went on, sighing, "And you're disrupting my sleeping time. Please leave."

At first it seemed like Alexis wouldn't listen; she stood perfectly still, and Kazuko could feel her glare burning down into the top of her skull. Then, when Lilinette made to move, Alexis turned on her heel and disappeared in a flash, the door slamming and her presence completely erased from the room.

"Lilinette," Stark turned to his Fraccion, "Go and tell Halibel I need to speak with her. Immediately."

Lilinette nodded and disappeared.

Kazuko blinked after her, rasping, "How do they _do_ that…?"

"It's called _sonido_." Stark answered, walking across the room and flopping down onto a pile of green pillows. "It's the Arrancar equivalent of shinigami shunpo, flash steps. In fact, it's probably what takes place of your ability to use flash steps when you put on your mask."

Kazuko turned to him, backing up against the wall and blinking, "I can do what you do?"

"Probably." Stark rolled onto his back, draping an arm across his face, "Hollowification _augments_ the abilities of shinigami and Hollow. Then again, there are certain shinigami attributes Arrancar don't take, so you might not be able to do everything an Arrancar can do."

After thinking about this, Kazuko frowned, "But with flash steps, I can still somewhat see the person using them. With that other thing, _sonido_? They completely disappear…"

Stark shrugged, "Then either _sonido_ is superior to flash steps, or you just aren't used to watching for it. Even if the two are analogous, there are certain subtleties in their performances that make them different. Otherwise, we might as well stop wasting the energy to call them by different names and flip a coin to choose between both titles."

At that moment the door opened and Lilinette walked in, nodding to Stark and turning back to the door to bow slightly to the person who walked in after her.

Halibel, standing tall and proud, strode calmly into the room, a short, thick blade on her back and Hayajihime tied around her waist. She stopped as the doors closed behind her, crossing her arms underneath her ample chest and staring evenly at Stark.

"What is it, Stark?"

"Halibel." Stark sat up, leaning against his forearms, "Could you give Kazuko's zanpakuto back to her?"

The woman's eyes flickered to Kazuko before returning to Stark, shifting her weight to one leg, "Has Lord Aizen approved this?"

"No." Stark shrugged, "But I highly doubt he'd approve of her dying because she was defenseless…"

Halibel blinked, "She's with you and Lilinette, Stark. When would she ever be defenseless?"

"Alexis." Was all Stark said.

Halibel tensed slightly at this, "Do you really think she would…?"

"She's already attacked her out of anger." Stark nodded to Kazuko, "Just look at her neck."

The female Espada's eyes flickered back to Kazuko, "Well, I suppose she wasn't made Grimmjow's Fraccion for no reason…" With a sigh, Halibel walked over to Kazuko, untying Hayajihime as she did, offering the zanpakuto when she was standing in front of the vizard.

"Only take that if you promise not only to not try to escape, but also to only use it in self defense." Stark said, studying Kazuko closely.

Kazuko didn't hesitate. She reached out and took Hayajihime, closing her eyes and choking back a sob when they reconnected.

_Kazu…_ Was all Hayajihime was able to breathe. Apparently, the separation had hurt her a lot worse than it had Kazuko.

"Thank you…" Kazuko sobbed, holding Hayajihime close as the zanpakuto's human manifestation appeared, "Thank you so much…"

"Just remember your promise," Halibel advised, turning away and walking to the door, "Because if cross Lord Aizen while wielding your zanpakuto, Alexis will be the least of your worries." With that final warning she was gone.

Kazuko shuddered, hugging the weak manifestation of her zanpakuto closer, Hayajihime closing her eyes and desperately trying to stop her tremors.

Stark watched them for a moment, then glanced at Lilinette, who had grabbed a blanket and was walking towards them slowly.

Gingerly, Lilinette draped over the two, shaking her head pityingly when Hayajihime's manifestation faded, leaving Kazuko falling asleep and hugging a sword.

"…Stark… she doesn't belong here."

"…I know."

"But you're going to let her be trapped here?"

"…Better here than with Grimmjow or even Nnoitra."

"That's not what I mean and you know it."

"…What… do you want me to do about it?"


	36. Memories Denied

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Amalia) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

(Memories Denied)

"Do I gotta?"

Lilinette sighed, "Yes, Kazuko, you do. Lord Aizen has already approved your visiting hours, and Alexis will be here within half an hour."

"…What's that gotta do with me wearing this?"

"…It will amuse me. Now put it on!"

Kazuko sighed, pulling an extremely Stark-like jacket on over her outfit, retying her sash around her waist and pulling on a pair of gloves.

Lilinette squealed and ran behind her, pulling Kazuko's hair up and tying it in place. She skipped back in front of Kazuko, looking her up and down and squealing again.

"…What was the point of dressing me up to look like Stark again?"

"…To amuse me. Now I know what it's like to be at eyelevel with Stark!"

"…" Kazuko blinked, "That's it?"

"Yep."

"…I still don't understand."

"I don't expect you to."

"So… can I take this of—"

"NO!! I REFUSE TO BE SHORT AGAIN!!"

"…So… how long do I have to go around dressed like Stark?"

"Until it stops amusing me."

At that moment Stark walked into the room, opening his mouth to talk to Kazuko but stopping when he got a look at her. His mouth slowly shut, then he turned to Lilinette, "What is this?"

"…It's 'dress like you favorite Espada' day?"

"We don't have a 'dress like your favorite Espada' day."

"Maybe you _Espada_ don't, but we Fraccion do!"

"…Kazuko isn't my Fraccion."

"Yeah, but I am, and I don't really want to dress up like you… and I don't look like you… so I dressed up Kazuko!"

"…Fraccion don't have a 'dress like your favorite Espada' day. And she doesn't look like me."

Lilinette twitched, "Will you quit being a killjoy?!"

Stark shook his head and sighed, then turned to Kazuko, "Alexis will be here soon. She'll be taking you for a walk around Las Noches, just you two. You will be monitored, but the closest observer will be half a mile away."

"Yeesh." Lilinette wrinkled her nose, then smiled sheepishly at Kazuko, "I guess you'll just have to try to not tick her off."

"…She doesn't hate Stark, does she?"

Lilinette and Stark blinked, the young Arrancar shrugging, "I dunno. Why?"

Kazuko blinked, "Because if she does, wouldn't me being dressed like Stark tick her off?"

The two Arrancar just blinked.

Just then, someone began pounding on the door.

Kazuko sighed, slumping forward, "Guess it's too late to worry now, huh?"

Lilinette just smiled widely, "When you stand like that, you really _do_ look like Stark!"

"…Sadly, I cannot disagree." Stark shook his head, turning away and walking over to his pile of pillows, falling onto them.

The someone, presumably Alexis, pounded on the door again.

Groaning, Kazuko shuffled over to the door and opened it, standing back and letting the knocker in.

"Stark," Alexis stormed in, "Where's…" Her eyes drifted up and down Kazuko's not-at-all-as-tall-as-Stark form, then trailed over to the pile of pillows in the back where the real Stark lay, staring at Alexis and Kazuko vapidly.

Lilinette covered her mouth with her hand, crossing her other arm over her stomach to try and hold back her laughter.

"…Amalia, why are you dressed like Stark?"

Kazuko blinked, "Why _aren't __you_ dressed like Stark?"

"Why _would_ I be dressed like Stark?"

"Because it's fun to dress like Stark."

"…You look like that because you think it's fun to dress like Stark?"

"…Actually, that has nothing to do with why I am dressed like Stark."

"Then give me something that _does_ have to do with why you are dressed like Stark."

"…Dress like your favorite Espada day."

"…There's no such thing."

"Are you suuuure?"

"Completely."

Alexis's answer came so abruptly and firmly that Kazuko didn't dare question her, even jokingly.

Alexis twitched, "You're lucky I don't dislike Stark, otherwise I'd be ticked." She then turned and walked out the door, gesturing for Kazuko to follow over her shoulder.

Kazuko paused, then followed, glancing over her shoulder back to Lilinette and Stark. Lilinette smiled encouragingly and nodded, then kicked an apparently sleeping Stark, who grunted and moaned, rubbing his ribs with one hand and waving Kazuko off with the other.

With a nod, Kazuko turned and walked out the door, shutting it carefully before jogging after Alexis.

The first part of the walk was spent in silence, Alexis leading Kazuko down never-ending halls of white, managing to avoid meeting any other Arrancar.

After some time they came to a great, circular room with a domed, glass ceiling that let the eerie moonlight filter in, shining down on a circular platform it the center of the room that rose up out of the ground. Alexis made for this platform immediately, walking around the other side and pulling herself up to sit on it cross-legged, facing the center.

"Sit." She commanded shortly, snapping her fingers and pointing to the area right in front of her.

Kazuko nodded, walking forward quickly and crawling onto the platform, shifting her legs under her so that she, too, was sitting cross-legged. The platform was small, so she and Alexis were sitting kneecaps to kneecaps, and if Alexis were to lunge at her Kazuko would easily fall off, which would probably lead to her cracking her head hard against the ground. She was, almost literally, stuck between a rock and a hard place. Nervously, she laid her zanpakuto across her lap.

"I see you have your zanpakuto back." Alexis observed casually, bracing one arm against her leg and leaning against it.

"Stark said Las Noches wasn't a place to go around unarmed."

"He's right." Alexis sniffed. "Especially for someone like you."

Kazuko didn't bother asking what Alexis meant by this; she could already guess several answers. They sat in silence for a moment.

"Alexissara."

Alexis blinked, "Huh?"

Kazuko frowned, "Stark called you 'Alexissara Garbaaanti Leondra', right? …That's not your name, though."

Alexis frowned, "What was my old name?"

Kazuko blinked, shocked, "Alexis Marie Smith."

"…Eh." Alexis shrugged, "When you become an Arrancar, you get a different name… or choose one. I never really could tell. All I knew was, when Lord Aizen asked for my name, I knew what to say. Grimmjow just calls me 'Alexis' because he hates my name. Says it's weird."

"Like he has room to talk." Kazuko's eyes widened and she slapped her hands over her mouth, vaguely wondering in the back of her head what had possessed her to say that.

_Two guesses._

Kazuko wondered at this because she hadn't heard from her inner Hollow since before coming to Hueco Mundo, and hadn't even felt her presence. Still, it was the only reason she could think of as an explanation for why she had said what she did, and as this thought was running through her mind she was flinching back to brace herself for a punch or a hard slap.

But she got neither.

Instead, she found herself turning back to Alexis in shock as the Arrancar burst into laughter, head turned away and hand covering her eyes.

"You…" Kazuko began quietly as Alexis's laughter began to die, "Aren't going to hit me?"

"Pfft, fuck no. Not for something like that." Alexis giggled, "That's the funniest thing I've heard in months. I'll have to use that against Grimmy later."

Kazuko blinked, "'Grimmy'?"

Alexis was serious in a second, glaring at Kazuko and slapping a hand over her mouth, "Do _not_ call Grimmjow that when you're around him. He won't hesitate to kill _you_ if he hears it."

"But he will you?" Kazuko asked, muffled by the hand.

"You kidding?" Alexis rolled her eyes, pulling her hand back and wiping it on her hakama, "Course he will. After all, of all the other idiots he has as Fraccion, _I_ don't fight senselessly with the others, and _I_ actually get my work done."

Kazuko was fairly sure this was a lie, but said nothing about it.

_After all,_ Hayajihime snorted, _This __is__ Alexis we're dealing with, and she wasn't the most dutiful when it came to school work, was she?_

'True…' "What exactly are we going to be doing on these 'visits', if you don't mind my asking, Alexis." Kazuko dared to venture, her head lowering.

"…I want to remember." Alexis answered.

Kazuko looked up, flinching when she was met with Alexis's furious, glowing blue eyes. "Remember?"

"I want to remember what happened right after the accident and right before my becoming a Hollow." Alexis explained, scowling deeply, "There are a lot of gaps in my memory, but that one stands out to me the most. Like I _have_ to know what's supposed to fill it. We aren't supposed to remember these things when we die, but something _happened_ that night, Ama, and it changed things for us. It assured that the days of our afterlife would be spent differently than those of others."

"What does this have to do with me?"

Alexis quirked a brow, "You don't know? You're the key."

Kazuko blinked, "Key?"

Alexis sighed, rolling her eyes, "Moron. Who was it that has a piece of both of our Chains of Fate? Who was it whose Chain was completely disintegrated. I was the one who lost that night, Ama. I lost my Chain, my memories, and what made me the old 'Alexis'. You're the one who gained. You gained part of my Chain, and with it some of my memories and, presumably, part of me. You _have_ been noticing some of the signs, right?"

Kazuko paused, then admitted, "My inner Hollow manifests herself in your image."

"See?!" Alexis leaned forward, a wicked grin of excitement on her face, "You have what I need! All right there, in your head, somewhere. I just have to find it—" She reached out, hand gripping for Kazuko's head.

Kazuko shuddered and leaned back, "Why do you want it so bad? It might only cause you pa—"

"Do not," Alexis interrupted suddenly, her hand stopping as her eyes narrowed, "Presume to know me or the price I put on my memories. They're all I have, and if you have some of them I want them back. Now." Her hand shot forward.

Kazuko's reaction was instantaneous; she grabbed the sheath of her zanpakuto and raised it, smacking Alexis's hand aside. At the same time, she braced her free hand against the platform beneath her and swung her legs over the side, stumbling to her feet and turning back to Alexis briefly to bow to her.

"I'm sorry!" She shouted as she turned and ran back the way they had come, flash stepping to put distance between her and Alexis as fast as she could.

_Don't bother._ Hayajihime sighed, _She's not following._

Still, Kazuko ran, desperately seeking out Stark or Lilinette's reiatsu. In her desperation, she failed to keep her senses open for other reiatsu, which was the reason for her not noticing and bumping right into exposed, toned, dark bronze skin.

She flinched as a pair of thin hands settled on her shoulders, relaxing when she heard Halibel speak, "Are you alright, Miss Kazuko?"

All she could do was nod, her eyes clenched shut and Hayajihime pressed tightly to her chest.

"Are you lost?" Halibel went on.

Again, she nodded.

Halibel sighed, "Let's go, then." She then removed her hands from Kazuko's shoulders and turned around, walking back the way she had come.

Kazuko opened her eyes and followed, keeping her eyes focused on the swishing ankles of Halibel's hakama.

_You're going to have to be a lot more careful around Alexis; you can be sure she'll try that again._

'I know…'

"…Miss Kazuko?"

Kazuko looked at Halibel's back, "Yes?"

"…" Halibel glanced over her shoulder, her high collar unable to hide the confusion and amusement in her eyes as she asked, "Why are you dressed like Stark?"


	37. Making Holidays

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Amalia) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

(Making Holidays)

Somehow word had spread of Lilinette and Kazuko's invented 'dress like your favorite Espada' day, and it somehow became a reality, though it wasn't limited to just the Fraccion. Exactly one week after the instance, on the same weekday that Lilinette had dressed Kazuko like Stark, nearly every Arrancar other than the Espada themselves was dressed as an Espada.

Lilinette and Kazuko amused themselves on that day walking around and tallying how many of whom they saw, and the results were almost enough to send them into giggle fits.

"Okay, okay, so what's the final tally?" Lilinette asked, rolling back and kicking Stark, who was asleep on his pile of pillows, "Stark, you have to hear this."

Stark grunted, lifting the hand that covered his eyes slightly and slitting one eye open to glare at his Fraccion.

"Give. Me. A. Break." Stark sighed, covering his eyes again.

Lilinette twitched, then stood and lifted her leg, smashing her foot down into Stark's crotch. As he writhed painfully she smiled down at him sadistically and said, "Break time's over. Listen time now."

Stark groaned and sat up, staring at Kazuko expectantly.

"Great." Lilinette giggled, sitting back down and nodding to Kazuko, "Alright, Kaz, what're the results?"

"Alright." Kazuko nodded, looking down at the papers on her laps, "Of the one hundred and thirteen Arrancar we saw, these are the percentages of the Espada, not including the originals, themselves." She paused to clear her throat.

"Twenty-seven percent as Ulquiorra,

Twenty-two percent as Stark,

Seventeen percent as Grimmjow,

Ten percent as Halibel,

Seven percent as Nnoitra,

Two five percents as Szayel and Aaroniero,

Three percent as Zommari,

and two two percents as Barragan and Yammy."

"Hear that, Stark?" Lilinette giggled, elbowing Stark's leg, "You're second."

Stark blinked, "But I'm—"

"Not important." Lilinette interrupted, jumping to her feet and skipping around the room, "Who knew Ulqui would be so popular, especially when he's so…" She paused, standing on one foot as she tried to think of the word.

"Dreary?" Kazuko supplied.

"Yes." Lilinette nodded and smiled happily, resuming her skipping, "Dreary." She stopped, flopping down on a stray pillow and sighing, "Though I suppose he is… _handsome_?" She wrinkled her nose slightly, "In a… I dunno… sad clown sorta way…" She blinked, rolling onto her back and tilting her head back until she was staring at Kazuko, "Wasn't there… some kind of sad clown in the human world?"

"…" Kazuko blinked, "Pagliaccio."

Lilinette tilted her head, then blinked, "Yeah, I got nothin'."

Kazuko shrugged, "That's alright; I don't think anyone ever really did with that opera."

"Opera?"

"It's a—"

"Don't." Stark interrupted, sitting up quickly and staring at Kazuko with wide eyes, "This 'dress like your favorite Espada day' thing is bad enough. We don't need anything else."

Unfortunately, there were those who begged to differ, namely a certain silver-haired, fox-faced former Captain of the Third Division of the Gotei. In fact, he begged to differ so strongly he asked Aizen to call a full meeting of the Espada just to say so.

"I think Miss Kazu and Lilinette should be allowed to make more holidays." Gin declared stubbornly, crossing his arm and pouting. "Las Noches ain't no fun."

Barragan twitched, "Las Noches isn't _supposed_ to be fun. It's preparing for the most destructive war in the history of existence!"

Gin stuck out his bottom lip, "Don't mean it can't be fun. 'Sides, think about how amusin' it'd be. Remember all those lil' Ulqui's runnin' around yesterday? Hi-_larious_."

Ulquiorra's eye spasmed.

"Actually," Aizen began evenly, smiling, "Yesterdays turnout worked quite in favor of production; not only did morale shoot through the roof, work was actually done more quickly and correctly than usual."

Kazuko and Lilinette, who had been called to the meeting in the throne room and were standing at the center of attention, exchanged glances, smiling.

"Miss Kazuko, Lilinette." They both looked up at Aizen, who nodded to them, "Do you think you can handle the task of… livening up Las Noches?"

"Definitely." Lilinette nodded, smiling widely. Kazuko nodded.

"Very well, then." Aizen smiled at them, "For the time being, Stark, his Fraccion and their guest will be in charge of creating and pushing holidays for Las Noches."

Kazuko and Lilinette's arms shot into the air as they screamed, "WOOT!"

Stark smacked his face, moaning, "Nnooooooooo…"

Gin smiled, "Yay!"

* * *

"Can we do something involving pastrami?"

"…Meat?"

"…Okay, yeah, you're right. That's dumb. …I GOT IT!!" Kazuko jumped to her feet, smiling widely, "'No Pants Day'!"

"…You serious?!" Lilinette jumped up with her, also smiling.

"…Please say you aren't." Stark begged, covering his face with his hands.

"I am!" Kazuko giggled, "Think of how fun it would be! …" She glanced at Lilinette, blinking, "For those who wear pants."

"Can you not imagine how catastrophic the end of that would be?" Stark asked, actually sitting up to stare at the two young females, "Can you not imagine how horrific it would be to see some of the people here without pants?"

Kazuko smiled widely, "I turned my imagination off for that very reason."

Stark twitched, then said, "Barragan."

Kazuko twitched and Lilinette screeched and fell over. They then exchanged glances and said at the same time, "It would totally be worth it."

"Nnoitra."

Both girls screamed, writhing on the ground and pulling at their hair. They then exchanged glances again.

"Are we that determined?" Lilinette asked.

"Are we that set?" Kazuko asked.

They stared at each other for a moment, then nodded seriously, "It would still be worth it."

Stark twitched, "You two are insane."

Lilinette nodded, "For the task we have been given, we must be." She then jumped to her feet, planting her fists on her hips and declaring, "The next holiday is 'No Pants Day'! Spread the word!"

* * *

Predictably, 'No Pants Day' was a smashing succ… failu… well… no one could really tell, but it whatever it was, it did smash.

The turnout was greater than expected, as was the number of casualties.

Hoards of Arrancar could be found running all over Las Noches, either running to or from certain pantless figures (for example, some ran _to_ Halibel while others ran _from_ Dordonii).

Disturbingly enough, even Aizen, Gin, and Tosen joined in on the affair, though most suspected that Tosen only joined in because Gin had something to do with the disappearance of the blind shinigami's pants.

Another disturbing fact had to do with the Espada; it was obvious that most of them had enough decency and pride to _not_ participate in a holiday called 'No Pants Day'. Unfortunately, Aizen apparently thought too many of them were too serious, so he made it mandatory that the Espada participate.

This, of course, led to some… well, mass killing sprees is the only term soft enough to label what happened. Let's just say that even the angered Espada's Fraccion stayed clear of their respective leaders for the duration of the day, deciding to be foot loose and pants-y free far, _faaaar_ away from their domains.

Soon, though, the bloodbath grew to such epic proportions that Aizen called an emergency meeting including himself, Gin, Tosen, Stark, Lilinette, and Kazuko.

"Miss Kazuko, Lilinette, as amusing as this holiday has been, I'm afraid I'm going to have to cut 'No Pants Day' short." Aizen informed them, the slightest trace of regret in his voice.

Kazuko and Lilinette, who were thoroughly soaked in blood from all of the massacres they had barely managed to dodge, agreed shakily.

Within the hour, 'No Pants Day' was at an end, and after Kazuko and Lilinette had changed into bloodless clothes (and Kazuko had put on a hakama) they returned to the proverbial drawing board.

"So," Kazuko sighed, "Was today a success or failure?"

"…I don't know what you'd call it." Lilinette shook her head, then smiled, "But let's come up with something just as fun!"

"Please." Stark sighed as he walked in, apparently unaffected by his pantless state, "Don't." Without bothering to put on a hakama, he slumped over to his precious pile of pillows and flopped down.

Kazuko and Lilinette stared at him for a moment, then faced one another.

"So," Kazuko began, "Got any ideas?"

"Nope. You?"

"Actually…" Kazuko smirked, "I do."

Lilinette smiled widely, "Do tell."

"'Gender Swap Day'."

"…I love it." Lilinette clapped her hands and giggled, "Cut, print, leave a copy on my desk! Tomorrow is 'Gender Swap Day'!"

"…Aizen strike me down." Stark moaned, looking at his Fraccion and his guest imploringly, "Do you two have any idea what I'll have to face when all of this is over?!"

Lilinette rolled her eyes, "Do we look like we _care_?" She then went back to smiling at Kazuko, "C'mon! Let's spread the word!"

* * *

And so, the next day was 'Gender Swap Day', and things actually went better for that than they had for 'No Pants Day'.

Of course, the Arrancar in charge of clothing distribution were furious when they found their supply closets empty, and Halibel was absolutely furious when she found that her admirers had stolen her clothes right out of her personal closet, but in the end there was little anyone could do about it.

Guys walked around dressed like girls and girls like guys, the later much more comfortable about their situation so long as they hadn't been stuck with copies of Dordonii or Gantenbainne's uniforms.

The most popular male uniform was Szayel's, because many females found it to be 'absolutely adorable and stylish' (much to the scientist's chagrin [as a side note, he had decided to play it safe and dressed in a Sun-Sun-like attire]).

The most popular female uniform, by far, was Halibel's, and many men went to great lengths to use the outfit to its fullest. Most of them had, predictably enough, stuffed the front so it looked like they had breasts, but surprisingly enough it was Grimmjow who went the extra ten miles to apply copious amounts of bronze skin paint, buy a wig, and make outrageous false breasts. He was the buffest, bronze-est, and most voluptuous 'Halibel' of them all, and scarily enough he was quite convincing.

Of course, Halibel was quite insulted by all of this and Aizen had decided to take special measures to ensure that she would not kill, maim, touch, or even look at one of her doubles the wrong way.

'Gender Swap Day' came and went, and for the sanity of those in Las Noches Aizen ordered Lilinette and Kazuko to take a break.

They were thankful for this because they would need the time to think up more holidays.

Stark was thankful for this because he could finally take off his Cirucci Thunderwitch outfit that Lilinette had forced him to wear.

And so, after three days of holiday madness, Las Noches fell into a deep slumber that would last for some time, the bodies of all wishing to recuperate from the traumatic experience and, hopefully, forget the whole thing…

* * *

"There. Are you satisfied, Gin? Your actions have officially raped the minds of every Arrancar in Las Noches."

"Yep." Gin grinned widely, "You bet I'm happy, Sosuke."


	38. What Wakes while the Other Sleeps

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Amalia) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

(What Wakes while the Other Sleeps)

Two weeks after their last encounter in the glass domed room, or one week after the holiday fiasco, and Kazuko still hadn't heard from Alexis. They had parted on such bad terms that Kazuko had initially feared immediate retaliation, but nothing. Not a word, not a hint, not even a glimpse at the three-day long holiday spree the week before. And Stark, who had been to two or three meetings, hadn't delivered any word from Alexis's Espada, Grimmjow.

It was almost as if she had vanished.

And, as much bad blood was between them, Kazuko would easily admit that she missed her.

But it wasn't just Alexis; Kazuko was missing several people.

Every day memories of her time on Earth and in the Seireitei plagued her, of the friends and family she had left behind in her simpleminded act of following a familiar reiatsu.

Shinji would be disappointed, Hiyori would be furious, Kuna would be distraught… Her brothers would surely noticed if they called and ended up speaking with a Kazuko-sound-alike who had less personality than a piece of pocket lint and who liked to collect pocket lint…

But then, she thought, they would forget her, just like her friends in the Seireitei had when she had been branded a traitor…

'I mean, if they hadn't forgotten me, wouldn't they have at least tried to visit?' She thought forlornly, laying on her side and staring into the dark. 'I know Rukia would have…'

Rukia… they had become such good friends, and they hadn't even been able to say goodbye after the incident in the Seireitei… Kazuko hadn't even thought much about Rukia since that day on the Sokyoku Hill…

'I… am a terrible friend…'

Two weeks after her last encounter with Alexis and three after becoming prisoner in Las Noches, Kazuko's spirit began to wane. She tried to hide it, but Stark and Lilinette still noticed when she crawled off on her own while she thought they rested to cry herself to sleep in a corner, far away from them.

There were other signs, though, that she just couldn't hide behind smiling and a fake peppy attitude. Deep, dark bags grew under her eyes and her skin turned ashen. She rested a lot, even more than Stark did at times, and she dragged herself around even more than he did. Stark rested. Kazuko fell over and died.

"Stark…" Lilinette muttered after Kazuko had slumped off for another nap, "Being here is killing her."

Stark sighed, "I know, but there's nothing we can do. Lord Aizen wants her here, and nothing can change his mind."

"She needs something to do…" The young Fraccion glanced at her new friend's sleeping form, "No matter how disastrous the holiday episode was, at least she was happy."

"…She just needs something to keep her mind occupied." Stark muttered, rolling onto his stomach and hugging one of his pillows, "Take her to the sparing arena or something…"

"Now there's an idea!" Lilinette jumped to her feet, smiling, "Thanks, Stark!"

Stark was already out.

Excited to get the new plan into action, Lilinette ran over to Kazuko and dove, barreling into her and sending them both sliding across the ground.

"Kaaaaazzuuuuuuu!!" Lilinette sang, giggling and smiling when Kazuko looked up at her blearily. "Grab your zanpakuto and let's go! We're gonna train!"

Kazuko blinked, sighing, "Train? Why?"

"'Cuz I'm bored!" Lilinette stood, dragging Kazuko's arm with her, "And I need practice! C'mon!"

Whimpering, Kazuko stood and grabbed Hayajihime, carrying the sword with her.

"Hold it." Lilinette stopped at the door and turned, frowning, "Put that on properly. You're a former shinigami, right? Act like one." The young Arrancar hoped she was being pushy in a positive way; a way that would encourage Kazuko and bring her out of her slump.

Kazuko, though, just heaved a tired sigh and secured Hayajihime around her waist tightly, fixing her sash before facing Lilinette again, "Better?"

"Much." Lilinette nodded and smiled, opening the door and skipping out.

As before when she ventured out into the halls of Las Noches, Kazuko didn't even bother to try to memorize the turns they took or the doors they passed, slumping forward instead and staring at her feet.

Lilinette cast a worried glance back every now and then, but planted a smile on her face when she finally stopped in front of a set of double doors, pushing them open. "Kazu, welcome to the east wing training arena!"

The arena, for that was what it quite literally was, could have easily housed twenty football fields, five long and four across. The entire wall closest to the door was lined with practice weapons, ranging from regular blades to whips to clubs, and she even saw a few fans here and there.

"Set your zanpakuto on the rack over there and grab something off of the wall." Lilinette smiled, "Then we'll get started." She then skipped over to the wall and grabbed a shinai.

Kazuko blinked and looked back over at the wall, tilting her head when she saw an empty rack. She paused, then walked over to the rack and untied Hayajihime, hesitantly leaving her in an empty rung before snatching a fan and running to the mat Lilinette was waiting on.

"You ready?" Lilinette asked, bracing herself.

"Wait, wait, what are the rules?!"

"Since we're not using our zanpakuto, anything goes." Lilinette shrugged, then disappeared.

Kazuko tensed, looking around with wide eyes. She was right. _Sonido_ was _completely_ different from flash stepping. She couldn't sense Lilinette at all.

"Over here!"

Yelping, Kazuko spun around and barely held back a sideswipe from Lilinette, who had pulled back dramatically at the last moment.

"What's wrong, Kazuko?" Lilinette asked, frowning as she jumped back, "I thought you were supposed to be better than this." She hadn't said it to be mean. She seemed genuinely concerned.

Kazuko shook her head, "I'm not used to watching for _sonido_. It's weird."

"Okay," Lilinette nodded, "Then I'll stop using it and we'll see what else you're not used to." She then lunged, plastic-tipped blunt practice sword thrusting forward.

Blinking, Kazuko took a step back and let the sword pass her up to the hilt, at which point she promptly snapped her fan shut and slapped the back of Lilinette's hand firmly.

Lilinette faltered, catching the sword with her other hand as it fell.

"Good," She nodded, smiling, "So you have basic reflexes down. Let's move up series attacks, then." She lunged again.

With the way Lilinette pressed her, Kazuko had no choice but to jump out of her slump, and not just out of the want to not be bruised and battered, but because some part of her was happy to be fighting again.

The part was hidden deep and moved slowly at first, as if it had been sleeping for some time, but the longer the sparring progressed, the more awake it got, and the more excited and angry it got. It writhed and slid around in her, stiff and scraping protrusions razing the inside of her skull.

"C'mon, Kazu!!" Lilinette jeered jokingly, smiling, "Don't hold back!"

And with that, the writing monster snapped and sprang.

The gathering crowd watched in shock as Kazuko displayed agility that hadn't thus far been seen from her in Las Noches and dropped the fan, flipping off of her feet and onto her hands, catching the fan with her foot and slinging it back as she bent her elbows and sprung backwards, arching back through the air and brushing a hand across her face as she did.

When she landed again, standing casually, she caught the fan in one hand and grabbed her mask with the other, pushing it up on top of her head and smirking at a stunned Lilinette, "'Don't hold back'? Fine by me."

Lilinette tensed, ignoring the others around her as they cheered. They didn't know; this wasn't Kazuko. Slowly, Lilinette crouched and held onto the grip of her practice sword with both hands, setting her jaw.

"What's this?" Not-Kazuko tilted her head, smirk turning into a grin and widening until it nearly split her face, "Regretting your decision already?"

"Hardly." Lilinette narrowed her eyes, "You'll be the one regretting coming out."

Not-Kazuko giggled, "Figured it out already? Such a smart little girl you are…." She snapped her fan open and held it up, other hand reaching out and beckoning to the young Arrancar, "Let's have at it then, shall we?"

Lilinette tensed, then disappeared, using _sonido_ once more.

Not-Kazuko snickered and used _sonido_ herself, reappearing above Lilinette when the girl flashed back and swung her sword down at where Not-Kazuko had been.

"You're going to want to be faster than that." Not-Kazuko hissed, running the edge of her fan down Lilinette's back, "'Cuz I can use the same abilities you do, now."

Lilinette growled and spun around, swinging up so the wooden blade of her shinai caught Not-Kazuko under her jaw and sending her flying.

Not-Kazuko skidded halfway across the room before she managed to dig her heel into the ground and slow her momentum, jumping to her feet and jumping around for a moment, hissing and clutching at her heel.

"Now that," She glared at Lilinette, setting her shinning red, raw foot back onto the ground gingerly, "Wasn't very nice." She disappeared for a moment, then reappeared close to Lilinette, fan no longer in hand and Hayajihime halfway drawn.

"H-hey!" Lilinette took a step back, "Rules were no zanpakuto!"

"Rules were 'anything goes'." Not-Kazuko drew the blade completely, grinning, "'No zanpakuto' was just a poor assumption on your part."

Lilinette dropped her shinai and raised one hand, charging her cero.

"Cero now, is it?" Not-Kazuko giggled insanely, running her hand up the back of Hayajihime, "Dance in the wind, Hayajihime."

Lilinette set her jaw determinedly and prepared to fire when Hayajihime began to disperse, then gasped and let the attack die when someone appeared behind Not-Kazuko and reached out, one hand gripping Hayajihime's blade while the other settled on her wielders throat.

"Put. The blade. Away." Alexis hissed in Not-Kazuko's ear, "If you do this, you will get Amalia killed."

"Like you care." Not-Kazuko hissed back, growling when Hayajihime's transformation was canceled. "You bitch."

"Takes one to know one." Alexis tightened her grip on Hayajihime until her hand bled, likewise tightening her grip on Not-Kazuko's throat, "I know who you are, 'cuz your ways are just like mine and it's impossible not to recognize your own work. Give. Kazuko. Her. Body. Back."

"I warned her," Not-Kazuko grinned, "That I would be waiting for my chance. This is my chance. And now, this is my body. She should have been keeping her barriers up."

Alexis growled and pushed the blade of Hayajihime against Kazuko's neck, "I don't care if I kill her here and now because I'd rather her be dead than possessed by some mockery of me. But, knowing me as well as I do, you don't want to die here. I suggest, if you really want to preserve your pitiful existence, that you give her back the controls."

Not-Kazuko twitched, then let out a long, low sigh, "You bitch."

"You know what they say: Birds of a feather flock together." Alexis muttered, dropping Hayajihime and wrapping both of her arms around Kazuko as she collapsed, her mask shattering.

Lilinette sighed, falling onto her butt as the gathered Arrancar spectators groaned in disappointment and began to disperse.

"I am sorry about the actions of my charge, Lilinette." Alexis addressed the higher-ranking Fraccion as she gathered Kazuko in her arms, bowing, "Amalia has always proven to be irresponsible with her control."

"No problem!" Lilinette said brightly, jumping to her feet and smiling nervously, "Uhh… could you help me get her back to Stark's domain?"

Alexis blinked, "Unfortunately, this incident has proven to me that her staying with Stark… may not be the best idea."

Lilinette tensed, "Then where—"

"Nnoitra," Alexis began, deadpanned, "Was the next guardian that Lord Aizen approved should anything have gone wrong with her last assignment. And, seeing that things have most definitely gone wrong, I'm afraid she will have to be turned over to him."

Lilinette's eyes widened and she choked, "N-nnoitra?!"

Alexis narrowed her eyes, "Nnoitra, I am sure, will be able to assure that she does not… somehow get her hands on _her zanpakuto_. I really, _really_ do wish it hadn't turned out some other way, but it seems that putting her in a more _laid back_ environment was a mistake on _my_ behalf…"

Lilinette winced, watching in horror as Alexis turned on her heel and walked to the door, taking Kazuko with her. When she was gone, the young Fraccion grabbed Hayajihime and sheathed her, then ran as fast as she could back to Stark, hoping he could do something.


	39. Creepy Sleepy Arrangement

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Amalia) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

(Creepy Sleepy Arrangement)

"Ohhh-hoo-hooooo." A long tongue slipped out from between a pair of lips, a tattooed '5' flashing as the tongue ran over said lips before returning to its owner's mouth. "So, I get the new girl now? How _delicious_."

Beside a now cowering Kazuko, Alexis tensed, "Yes, Nnoitra, Amalia has been sent to bunk in you domain. Lord Aizen feels that you would do an acceptable job of keeping her under control, considering everyone else is either inadequate or busy. However, Lord Aizen has made it abundantly clear that should she be violated in any way, _you_ will be severely punished, and has said that it would be in your best interest to keep her safe and… untainted."

"…That so?" Nnoitra blinked slowly.

Alexis narrowed her eyes, "Her zanpakuto is being turned over to your Fraccion, Tesla."

The blonde Arrancar blinked, "Me?"

"Yes." Alexis nodded to him, "You are to keep hold of it until the time in which you deem it necessary for her to wield it, and afterwards you are to take it back. These are orders directly from Lord Aizen. They stand above any order Nnoitra gives you." She glared at him, "That also means that if Nnoitra, for whatever reason, decides to attack Amalia, you are to give her zanpakuto to her. You, also, are being entrusted with her safety."

Nnoitra rolled his eyes, lounging back in his chair with his arms behind his head, "As if her little zanpakuto would stand a chance against me."

Alexis scowled, "Be that as it may, Sirs Tosen and Gin, themselves, are under orders to respond if they should feel Amalia's zanpakuto gather or expend any energy, as are any and all other Espada and Fraccion in the area. You would be slain mercilessly, Nnoitra, should she or Tesla feel the need that she should draw her zanpakuto. Likewise, any burst in her reiatsu for whatever reason will be responded to as if it were an emergency. Also, on top of my regular visits, several Arrancar will be coming by every day to talk to her, and reports will be delivered directly to Lord Aizen, himself."

Nnoitra and Tesla blinked, surprised. Nnoitra giggled, "Lord Aizen's goin' all out for this girl, ain't he? I wonder why…"

Alexis stiffened, "The fact that Lord Aizen wishes it should be enough, in and of itself. If she is in any way, physically or mentally, molested, Nnoitra, you will be killed. And depending on who kills you, it may or may not be fast."

"Yeah, yeah, I hear ya." Nnoitra rolled his eyes, glaring at Alexis, "Ya done yet, wench? 'Cuz if ya are, get the hell outta my domain."

"As per my rights, I will return this evening to visit Amalia." Alexis glared at the lanky Espada, "Your first test comes then, Nnoitra." That said, Alexis turned and walked out of the room.

Kazuko turned slightly, watching the door shut behind Alexis out of the corner of her eye before glancing back at Nnoitra and his blonde Fraccion, keeping her head lowered.

"What's this?" Nnoitra smirked, "A female who knows her place? Not exactly a common thing here in Las Noches, but…" He stood, walking towards her, "Not like it ain't an improvement."

Kazuko tensed, then ran forward and passed Nnoitra, coming to a stop behind Tesla. When he turned to stare at her, she lowered her head and held out Hayajihime, "I'm supposed to turn this over to you as soon as possible!"

Tesla blinked, then reached out and took the zanpakuto, "I see… very good, then… I guess…"

Hesitantly, she let her zanpakuto go, only to blink and reach for it again, "Wait…"

"Hmm?" Tesla paused.

"Haya…" Kazuko stopped midway to reaching for her zanpakuto, "Before I let go, she said something… I think she wanted to talk to Nnoitra, but I… I didn't hear her… Can I?..."

Tesla blinked and looked at his Espada.

Nnoitra smirked and shrugged, "Could be interestin'… let her."

Shrugging back, Tesla offered Kazuko the sea green sheath of her zanpakuto, watching her carefully as she reached out and touched the sheath.

Hayajihime appeared in a flash, arms crossed and a deadpanned stare on her face as she addressed Nnoitra, "If you so much as lay hand on Kazuko, I will cease my efforts to hold back her Hollow and let her have full reign."

Nnoitra sneered, "Is everyone just gonna keep repeatin' the same general shit over and over again about this? I know my orders and I know the consequences. The bitch won't be deflowered or mentally scarred in any way, alrigh'?!"

"So long as we are clear." Hayajihime hissed, vanishing.

Heaving a sigh, Nnoitra waved to Tesla and growled, "Take her to your room an' keep her there. That way no one gets any mixed ideas."

Tesla nodded, bowing slightly, "As you wish, Nnoitra, sir." He then grabbed Kazuko's arm and dragged her out of the room, leading her down a short hallway before they emerged into another room, at which point he promptly let her go. "You are to stay in here unless Nnoitra or I say otherwise. Is that clear?"

Kazuko nodded silently, keeping her head down.

She heard him sigh and jumped as he walked behind her, placing his hands on her shoulders and walking her over to a small couch.

"Stay here and don't move. I'll be back in a moment."

She nodded again, sitting down and clasping her hands in her lap. She felt Hayajihime leave with him, tugging painfully deep within her chest though not as painfully as before.

'Sad… to think that I'm actually getting used to this…'

After some time of waiting, Kazuko began to feel sleepy. It barely occurred to her that falling asleep when Tesla wasn't around wasn't a good idea, and it didn't occur to her at all to check and see if Nnoitra was close.

Instead, all she was focused on was how sleepy she felt, and she was vaguely aware of her head slowly falling forward and her eyes flickering shut.

Falling asleep while sitting up requires either some skill or some level of exhaustion, and in Kazuko's case she was wiped after her Hollow form had suddenly chosen to reappear. Before she knew it, the image of her lap was blurring before her and then turning black, and what seemed an instant after that a hand settled on her shoulder.

"Eep!" Kazuko jumped, whimpering and grabbing her neck with the sudden movement made her stiff neck shoot with pain. She looked up, wincingly, at Tesla.

"Not a good idea." He frowned down at her, setting a tray on her lap, "Falling asleep like that, I mean." Saying nothing further, Tesla turned and walked to his bed, sitting on it and watching her eat the bowl of rice.

Kazuko felt him staring at her but ignored him, focusing entirely on her food.

"…You've created quite the uproar, you know." When she looked at him, Tesla twitched and went on, "Lilinette practically dragged Stark to see Lord Aizen and used barely acceptable respect in demanding that you be turned back over to them."

Kazuko's eyes widened, "She did?!"

Tesla nodded, "Lord Aizen refused, but he is considering turning you over to yet another Espada. He said he'd have a concrete answer by tomorrow, but for the night you're staying here."

Kazuko nodded, her eyes returning to her now empty tray. She flinched when hands reached out and took the tray, making Tesla sigh.

"Be careful about not falling asleep and don't leave." Tesla said, turning and taking the tray away.

She watched him go, relaxing slightly when he was gone. Though Tesla seemed more trustworthy of the two she was boarding with now, Kazuko still felt on edge. She didn't know why everyone was so against her staying in Nnoitra's domain (other than him being creepy she hadn't seen him do anything odd), but if even Alexis was opposed to it then there had to be some reason.

'…I wonder if what Nnoitra said about 'deflowering' has anything to do with it…' Subconsciously, Kazuko tilted her head, 'What does 'deflower' even mean?'

She could have sworn there were even more hints to the answer she was looking for in the earlier conversation between Alexis and Nnoitra, but her last nap had completely erased it from her mind.

'Right about now is when I wish either Hayajihime or Hollow-Alexis were here…' Kazuko sighed, '_They_ would remember… and they'd probably understand, too…'

While she thought Kazuko grew tired of sitting up, so she slipped off her shoes and laid down, stretching out and making herself comfortable on the couch. Laying still and assisted by the thick cloth of the Arrancar uniform, she gradually grew warmer and warmer, and her drowsiness from before returned.

_Just when she thought she was going to sleep, Kazuko suddenly snapped awake and sat up, blinking._

"_Eh, have to remember I can't fall asleep!" She smacked her cheeks, "Everyone keeps telling me not to let mu guard down around Nnoitra, so I can't go to sleep!" Sighing, Kazuko looked up, freezing and twitching when she found herself looking at the ground instead of the ceiling. "Eh… eh… eh?!"_

_On the ground beneath her was a table, long and low, made of what appeared to be dark brown, almost black, mahogany. At each end of the table was a dark blue cushion, and on each cushion sat one person; one Hayajihime and the other Hollow-Alexis._

"_**You aren't looking too good, zanpakuto."**__ Hollow-Alexis observed lazily, smirking and leaning against the table._

_Hayajihime, who was pale and panting, glared at the Hollow, "Shut up."_

"_Um… guys?'' Kazuko called out, laughing sheepishly, "A little help?"_

_They either didn't hear her or were ignoring her, because they continued with their conversation._

"_**So, how do we get Kaz out of Hueco Mundo?"**_

"_We don't. We can't. Not only is she too weak to stand up against them, she's completely unable so long as Alexis is controlling her…" Hayajihime pursed her lips, "Just why do you want to __help__Kazuko get out of this? One would think that you'd actually be working to sabotage any escape attempts, not trying to head them."_

_Hollow-Alexis sneered, __**"I may have been apart of that body originally, but I'm not now. We separated a long time ago, and I've become my own person; a person who wants to remain separate. I want to keep my separate consciousness. …Besides…"**__ She looked away, head tilting slightly, __**"I… I have a feeling that if I reunite with my former self… I'll remember something… something I'm not sure I want to remember."**_

_Hayajihime stayed silent._

_After a moment, Hollow-Alexis turned back to the zanpakuto and blinked, asking, __**"Hey, had I not joined with Kazuko, would your abilities have been any… different?"**_

_Hayajihime blinked, shocked, then sighed, "I had a weak shikai, but a stronger bankai. Had things gone the way I would have preferred them, she would have mastered her bankai sooner..."_

"_**Is that why it's so hard for Kazuko to control her bankai? 'Cuz I woulda figured that if you really wanted her to control it, it would be a lot easier for her."**_

"_Again, you are correct." Hayajihime nodded, "The hostility you bear towards her makes it hard for her to not only summon Shiraku-Onmoraki, but also to maintain it. That, and the nature of it in and of itself opposes her own."_

_Kazuko listened to all of this intently, thoughts of getting down from the ceiling and escaping the confides of her mind slowly fading as she did._

"_**Sooo…"**__Hollow-Alexis glanced at Hayajihime nonchalantly, __**"What was your original bankai like?"**_

_Hayajihime twitched and glared at the Hollow, "None of your busi—uhg!!" She clutched her chest and fell forward, hair splaying out across the table and white knuckles gripping the edges of the wood._

_Hollow-Alexis shifted uncomfortably, __**"Are you… alright?"**_

"_Nnnngh…" Hayajihime moaned, looking up slightly, "I'm doing my best to take away the pain from Kazuko caused by our separation. The first time was much harder, but this time… the further away we're pulled, the harder it is for me to stay in contact with her mind and stay conscious."_

"_**Take a nap, then."**__ Hollow-Alexis suggested, __**"I'll keep an eye on her."**_

_Hayajihime laughed dryly, "Thanks, but it's best I stay awake. You're connected with Kazuko on a level that's more physical than psychological, so if anything happens to muddle her brain you'll be muddled, too."_

"…_**I don't trust Nnoitra."**_

"_Who in their right mind would?" Hayajihime narrowed her eyes, "But I know what you're saying… I, too, fear that he will try som—"_

Kazuko's eyes snapped open to darkness as an uncomfortable weight pressed her down into the couch and a sharp pain pinched her arm.

Thrashing, the scream that built up in her throat was muffled by a large hand that pressed over her mouth.

"Nah, ah, ah, none of that, now." An eerily familiar voice hissed in her ear, something fleshy and wet flicking over her earlobe. "We'll just give that nice lil' injection a moment to settle, eh? Then I'll _really_ give you a reason to scream."


	40. Slippery Slide

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Amalia) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

(Slippery Slide)

Kazuko trembled as Nnoitra giggled, his hand slipping under her shirt and his fingers razing up the skin on her side. Whatever injection he had given her was settling in, and her body felt heavy and her voice wouldn't work.

Over and over her mouth made to speak her protest, lips forming words and tongue moving in the correct patterns to help form those words, but no sound came. Repeatedly she clenched her muscles, trying to make them move, but she remained stationary and sore from the efforts. She had been struck completely mute and almost completely immobile.

When his body rubbed hard on hers, she focused all her will to press herself further into the sofa until her muscles hurt from the effort. She began to tear up out of frustration when, with slow ease, Nnoitra slipped one of his long legs under her body and pressed her pelvis against his, grinding against her painfully.

"Nah-ah, you ain't goin' anywhere." He breathed heavily against her neck, tongue dragging up her jaw and over her cheek. "Bit surprised you can still move _that_ much, actually."

Kazuko closed her eyes and cried silently, tears streaming down her cheeks.

Nnoitra snickered, "Don't be like that. After all, I ain't gonna go so far as to 'deflower', 'scar', 'violate', 'taint', and all those other words that have to do with me…" He giggled maniacally, stroking the inside of one of her thighs through her hakama, "Takin' away somethin'… _special_ from ya."

It was in that moment that Kazuko understood what the others had meant, something so powerful it almost ceased to be metaphorical clicking in her head, turning on a light brighter than the sun and lighting up her realization.

She struggled harder than before against her own deadweight muscles, pain searing through her body from nothing but sheer will trying to move close to one hundred pounds of flesh and bone.

"Don't tire yourself out, now." Nnoitra chastised, his hands running up her sides and pulling off her shirt, "You do and I ain't gonna get any fun outta this."

When Nnoitra's lips crashed onto hers, his tongue thrusting into her mouth and practically shooting down her throat, Kazuko gave up, simply laying back and blocking everything out.

'I'm such a boring person… maybe I should cut my hair? Or paint my nails? Learn a sporty activity? …Maybe some gymnastics or cheerleading…'

"_**Wha' in th' fuck 're ya doin'?"**_ Hollow-Alexis slurred drunkenly, angrily, _**"Figh' back you fucktard… don' le' tsh bashtard do tsh t' ya."**_

'I don't know what you're talking about.' Kazuko thought dreamily, almost completely unaware of Nnoitra's hands seizing her breasts roughly, 'I'm in Cancun right now, learning how to mambo.

"_**Tsh ain' th time t' be makn a psyclogcl block, moron. He's rapin' yer **_**soul**_** here, not yer physcl body. If ya cnt fuggin' move, 't least le' ou' a burst 'f reiatsu 'r somethn'…"**_

That thought snapped Kazuko right back into her body; her reiatsu. She remembered now. If anyone nearby felt a disturbance in her reiatsu, they'd come!

She had realized this and snapped out of her self-induced delirium when Nnoitra's hand had already slipped passed her sash and into her hakama, fingers teasing her underwear as he contemplated out loud, "They said nothing to scar you… but what they can't see they won't know, right?"

As soon as his thin, bony fingers slid under the waistband of her underwear, Kazuko threw her head back and screamed, digging into her reiatsu and pulling out as much as she could.

Nnoitra was off her in a second, standing on the other side of the room with his back pressed against the wall, eyes wide and pupils narrow with shock and anger.

Kazuko panted heavily, body still heavily drugged but her reiatsu distress signal still pouring out of her. The air chilled her bare skin, still hot and flushed from Nnoitra's hands, his body, rubbing against her.

"The fuck was that?" Nnoitra hissed, glaring at her, "You got your body back, then? You got control?"

She just stared at him, panting, not trying to say anything. She knew she wouldn't be able to.

"Sooooooo… just flight-or-fight, then?"

Still, nothing.

Nnoitra twitched, sidling along the wall towards the door, which slammed open before he could make his escape.

Tesla stood in the doorway, eyes wide and panting, and looked around, eyes landing on Kazuko and slowly taking in her shirtless, disheveled appearance. He then caught sight of Nnoitra to his left and stared at his Espada, "N… Nnoitra… you…"

Nnoitra ground his teeth and said nothing.

Kazuko watched them, then winced and stared at the wall, feeling several spiritual pressures of varying strength heading towards them

Nnoitra and Tesla must have felt it, too, because they both tensed and stared at the wall Kazuko was staring at.

In a flash Tesla was kneeling beside her, slipping her shirt over her head and working her arms through the armholes, reattaching her sleeves.

"Nothing happened, do you understand? Nothing. They ask, you don't say anything. Do you understand?" When he noticed she wasn't responding and her arms were limp, he stared into her eyes, searching. "Shit." He dropped onto his hand and looked around on the ground for something. He came up a moment later with an empty syringe, small drops of blood on the needle. "Shiiiiit…"

When the reiatsu were in the front room of Nnoitra's domain, Tesla flashed over to his bed and shoved the needle under his pillow, and when footsteps were crashing down the hall, heading towards his door, he looked up, paling.

Kazuko looked and saw why.

Nnoitra was still there. He hadn't moved. He hadn't run.

Nnoitra blinked and jumped when he noticed they were both staring at him, then winced when they realized what he had. He hadn't fled, and it was too late.

Alexis was the first to run through the door, her eyes wide and livid, body shaking with anger.

Grimmjow came in after her, a lazy smirk on his face that made it safe to assume he had just come to see what would happen.

Stark and Lilinette came in after them, Lilinette running straight to Kazuko and kneeling beside her. "Kazuko?! Kaz?!"

"Just what in the HELL is going on here?!" Alexis screamed, "Amalia! Why did you flare your reiatsu?!" She spun around, glaring when she caught sight of Nnoitra pressed against the wall, looking nervous. "You…" She stormed towards him, right hand reaching for the thick, black waistband of her hakama, "WHAT IN THE HELL DID YOU DO TO—"

"Now, now, Miss Alexis." A sly, mocking voice cut her off, "Tha' ain't nice, now is it?"

Alexis stopped where she was, gritting her teeth so loudly no one missed it.

There was a giggle, then Gin Ichimaru walked into the room, smirking and looking around, whistling, "Wheeeew… there sho is a lot o' people in here, jus' for one lil' flair…" He looked at Kazuko, smiling and waving, "Hey, Lil' Kazu!"

Kazuko just twitched her lips in a quick smile.

Gin tilted his head, his smile fading slightly as he took in her appearance. "Yer lookin' a lil' upset there, Kazu… What happened?"

"Nnoitra did!" Alexis snapped, turning to Gin and pointing to Nnoitra, "That's obvious!!"

"I wasn't asking you, Alexis." Gin said in a dangerously soft voice, his smile fading more and his eyes slitting open as he glanced over his shoulder at her. "I was asking Miss Kazuko."

Alexis fell silent, lowering her eyes. Her hand still remained on the waist of her hakama, fingers twitching.

"Now, then," Gin's smile stayed gone and his eyes slit open as he turned back to Kazuko, "What happened, Lil' Kazu?"

Nnoitra and Tesla were tense; Kazuko could tell as she looked at them. They both knew she was probably too drugged to say anything, and if anyone noticed how limp she was, they would know something had definitely happened.

Nnoitra and probably Tesla would be killed; their blood spilled for her. Because of her.

"Nnn… nnnn…" Kazuko struggled against her heavy tongue, willing her vocal chords to speak. "Nnnnn…"

Gin tilted his head.

"Nnnn…"

She could tell. She could spill everything right here, blood included, if she said just one word. One word would be all it took for Nnoitra to be killed. Just one word.

Lilinette reached out for Kazuko, "Are you trying to say Nno—"

"Don' be puttin' words in her mouth, now, Lilinette." Gin cut her off, still staring at Kazuko. "Lil' Kazu?"

Kazuko gritted her teeth, struggling to sit up, "N… nightmare…" Sighing, Kazuko fell back against the sofa, repeating over and over, "Nightmare… nightmare… nightmare…"

She couldn't do it.

She couldn't kill them.

Tesla relaxed and everyone else stared at her in disbelief.

"Nightmare, then." Gin said, his eyes returning to normal and his smile stretching. "Ya all heard her; nightmare." He turned and waved to the others, "Let's all go to bed, now. It's late and we're all tired."

As everyone began to file out reluctantly, Alexis lingered to stare at Kazuko in confusion.

Kazuko just smiled.

Soon everyone was gone, leaving a still mostly paralyzed Kazuko, a relieved Tesla, and a confused and angry Nnoitra alone.

"What in the hell was that?" Nnoitra stared at Kazuko suspiciously.

Kazuko sighed and closed her eyes, tired.

"Nnoitra," Tesla began evenly, "I won't ask either of you what happened, but Kazuko just saved your skin. The least you could do, the absolute least, would be to just leave her alone."

Kazuko listened as Nnoitra snarled, then turned sharply on his pointy boots and stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him. She then heard Tesla sigh and walk towards her, wincing when he set a heavy weight on her.

"Thank you." He muttered, turning and walking away again.

After a moment, Kazuko opened her eyes again and stared at the thick blanket that covered her. Sighing, Kazuko closed her eyes and went to sleep once more, this time of her own accord and without worry.

* * *

"Why the fuck didn't you say anything?" Nnoitra demanded the next day, glaring down at Kazuko.

She looked up at him, blinking, amazed. Even when he was sitting, he was taller than her. "How did you get so _tall_?!" She pouted, "Lucky."

Nnoitra twitched and Tesla blinked. It was almost as if she had completely forgotten what had happened.

Growling, Nnoitra grabbed her by the forearms and stood, bringing her to his eyelevel and staring at her, "_Why_ the _fuck_ did you _lie for me_?!"

"Why does it matter?" Kazuko asked, deadpanned, "You're still living, right? Does the 'why' hold any significance anymore?"

"Well…" Nnoitra held her back at arm length, blinking in surprise, "So, there actually _is_ something serious in you…"

Kazuko smirked, "Seriously screwy!! Nyah-hahahahahahaha!!" She cackled, then stopped when she saw the flat look Nnoitra was giving her. "Never again?"

"Never again." Nnoitra nodded. He paused, then set her on her feet and stuffed his hands in his pockets, slumping forward and staring down at her, "Lord Aizen heard Lilinette's case and agreed. Someone is going to be sent soon to take ya to another Espada."

Leaning back to look at him, Kazuko tilted her head, "Do you know who?"

Nnoitra snorted, "Hell no." He stared at her silently, then asked once more, "Why did you lie?"

"Because I'd rather no one get killed on my behalf."

His eyes narrowed, "Ya are aware of what I was plann—"

"Don't make me think about it." Kazuko interrupted, twitching. "I'd sooner not imagine where… _that_ would have led…" She blinked, "Even though I really have no clue, anyway…"

Nnoitra blinked slowly, "Just how innocent _are_ ya?"

Kazuko blinked back, tilting her head, "Well… I didn't learn until I was ten what the biggest anatomical difference between a male and a female was."

Nnoitra gagged and fell over.

Kazuko looked down at him, frowning when he sat up and he was still taller than her, even though he was sitting on the ground. "Wow… either you are just that tall, or I am really, _really_ short."

"Probably both." Tesla answered, crossing his arms and snickering.

"Shut up." Nnoitra snapped, glaring at his Fraccion.

Just then, a loud knock came on the door, making the three turn to it.

"Who the fuck's there?!" Nnoitra shouted.

Whoever it was must have taken Nnoitra's exclamation as his version of 'come in', because they opened the door and walked inside.

Two girls of the same height, one with short blonde hair and the other with long black hair up in two pigtails, walked in. The blonde bowed while the black-haired girl curtsied.

"Loly." Tesla said, somewhat tense and annoyed, "Menoly."

The black-haired girl, whose uniform looked strongly sailor fuku, giggled and curtsied again, "We're here to take Miss Kazuko to her new Espada assignment, Sir Nnoitra."

Nnoitra twitched and stood, "Whatever." He frowned, "Who's she goin' to?"

"Lady Halibel." The blonde, who wore a fairly standard if somewhat revealing uniform, answered.

"…" Nnoitra blinked, then turned and walked over to his chair, flopping down into it, "Whatever. Take the bitch and go."

Kazuko, who had turned to watch him, jumped when a vice-like grip clamped onto her arm, turning back and staring at the black-haired girl with wide eyes when she saw the malicious smile she was giving her.

"Oh, we will, Sir Nnoitra."

The blonde smirked.

Naïve as she was about things, Kazuko could tell that these girls _weren't_ the friendly types.

Nails digging into Kazuko's arm, the black-haired girl turned and drug Kazuko to the door, speeding up every time Kazuko tried to keep in pace with her.

"…Hey!"

The two female Arrancar stopped at the door and turned back, eyes widening when they saw Nnoitra glaring at them.

"If either of you bratty little fucks do anything hurt her, I'll rip out yer fuckin' entrails and use them to decorate the halls. And I _will_ know if you did, because _she's_ gonna tell me." He glared at Kazuko, next, "Ain't that right, bitch?"

Kazuko paled, nodding.

"Good." Nnoitra smirked, sitting back in his seat, "Now get her the fuck outta here and to Halibel as fast as you can."


	41. Snake's Pact

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Amalia) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

(Snake's Pact)

Kazuko was thankful that her time with Loly and Menoly was short, because just walking between the two was enough to frighten her. Not nearly as much as being around Aizen or Nnoitra, but enough to make her concerned for her wellbeing so long as it was just the three of them.

The two irate females left her in front of the great door that they announced to be the entrance to 'Lady Halibel's Domain', turning and running off as soon as they were sure she was set.

Kazuko stared after them, wondering why they had left in such a hurry.

She didn't have to wonder long.

After knocking on the giant doors for several moments and getting no answer, she pushed one open slightly and peeked inside. The front room was empty.

Slipping inside, Kazuko walked to the center of the room and looked around, unsure of what to do. She knew that if Aizen had decided that Halibel would be looking after her that the Espada would know, that much was blaringly obvious, but for her to not be waiting or to at least have someone waiting for her struck Kazuko as odd. Halibel had seemed rather strict and punctual…

"…Who the hell are you?"

Kazuko blinked at the girl who had walked out of the hall in front of her; a taller girl with shoulder length blue hair, heterochromatic blue and orange eyes with the left eye, the orange one, being outlined with red eyeliner.

The frown on her face deepened as she demanded, again, "Who. The. Hell. Are. You?"

"Ah." Kazuko blinked, lowering her head, "Kazuko Kuruyaki. I was assigned to Lady Halibel's care by Lord Aizen." She dared a glance back up, wincing.

Now the girl was scowling, "Eh?"

Kazuko assumed that this girl was Halibel's Fraccion, or one of them, and said, "Lady Halibel was only recently informed, I believe, so she might not have had the chance to tell you yet. I… I'm supposed to be bunking here…"

"That so?" The Fraccion asked slowly, crossing her arms, "Well, then, how about we just wait here for Lady Halibel to return so she can tell me this, herself, then?"

"As you wish." Kazuko nodded.

The Fraccion's eye twitched, "…What was that?"

It took Kazuko a minute to realize that she had been taking to her, and when she did she slowly, unsurely, repeated, "As… you… wish?"

"…I don't like your tone." The girl's eyes narrowed, "You got a problem with me?"

"Eh? No!" Kazuko raised her hands and shook her head, "No problem at all! I was just trying to be servile!! I'm less likely to get in trouble and get punched if I'm servile, right?"

The girl blinked. "Are you retarded?"

"…Ya know, some have wondered…" Kazuko muttered, frowning and scratching the side of her face.

The girl twitched in response, quickly becoming increasingly annoyed by the vizard's mere presence. She opened her mouth and was about to say something when the door opened and the sound of several pairs of feet walking filled the room.

"…There you are."

"Lady Halibel!" Kazuko jumped and spun around, tripping on the hem of her hakama and falling over. She smiled up sheepishly from the ground as the Espada and the two females that accompanied her stared down at her. "Hehe… tripped on my pants…"

Halibel nodded, watching Kazuko as she stood, "It would appear as though there was a mistake in the orders… I was under the impression that I was going to get you, yet here you are…"

"Loly and Menoly came to get me." Kazuko said, tilting her head. When Halibel said nothing, Kazuko untied Hayajihime from her waist and held her out, "I'm supposed to—"

"Keep it." Halibel interrupted, "Lord Aizen has decided that, in light of the 'events' that either did or didn't occur last night, you are to keep your zanpakuto on you. But, you are also to exercise restraint. I am sure you know the consequences…"

"Death." Kazuko sighed, fastening her blade back to her waist, "The usual."

Halibel nodded.

Kazuko sighed again, then looked at the other two women and smiled. The fiercer of the two was a brunette with dark skin and the remains of her mask clawed over her head, like a crown, and again around her throat like a necklace. The other was a slim girl with long, dark green hair and dramatically long sleeves on her dress-like uniform, one of her arms raised and the sleeve used to cover the lower half of her face.

"Hi!" Kazuko greeted brightly, "I'm Kazuko!"

"…Mila-Rose." The fierce woman nodded.

"Sun-Sun." The slim woman nodded. "And it appears you've already met Apache."

"Yep!" Kazuko smiled over her shoulder and waved at the sulking girl. Then, a thought struck her and she blinked, "I think this is the most females I've been in the same room as in my time here so far…" She twitched, then dropped to her knees and cried in relief, "Finally! No more males!!"

The Espada and the two Fraccion that accompanied her sighed, Apache twitching.

"Kazuko, pull yourself together."

Kazuko twitched, looking up and glaring, "Who asked you, Haya?!" She then blinked, alarmed, "What're you doing out?"

Hayajihime sighed weakly, "Call it 'bonding time'. We've been separated so much lately it's starting to affect our health."

"Eh?"

"You look terrible." Hayajihime said slowly and levelly, "And you haven't been sleeping well. Which brings me to the second reason I'm here." She turned to Halibel, bowing slightly, "Lady Halibel, might I ask if she can have some form of sleep aid drug? Her health is waning dramatically, and I'm in no state to help her even if we are close again."

Halibel thought, then nodded, "I'll speak to Szayel about it."

"Thank you." Hayajihime then turned to Kazuko and glared at her. "Bed. Now."

Kazuko frowned, "No. Even _if_ I knew where I was sleeping, I wouldn't go to bed this early!"

"Go to bed."

"No!"

"Yes."

"No!"

"Yes."

"No!"

"Are you fighting with yourself?!"

Kazuko and Hayajihime, who had forgotten that there were others in the room, turned and blinked.

Halibel and her three Fraccion (Apache had walked over to join them while the vizard and her zanpakuto were fighting) were staring at them oddly. Apache, who had asked the question, was twitching.

"…I suppose that, in a sense, I am." Kazuko answered after a moment.

Apache twitched again.

"…You'll be rooming with Sun-Sun." Halibel said after a moment, shaking her head. "And your zanpakuto is right; if you're not well for lack of sleep, then you should turn in early."

"Mrow." Kazuko pouted, slumping. "Okay…"

"Oh, of _course_you'll listen to someone other than me!" Hayajihime fumed.

Kazuko glanced at her, quirking a brow, "Of course. I don't like you right now."

Hayajihime twitched, "…Fine." She turned away, glaring at the wall, "You know what? Fine. Do whatever you want with your body, I don't care anymore. It's your body, your soul, your life, and now it's your responsibility. I'm done trying to help. Done."

"…Well, that's a relief!" Kazuko smiled, "I was planning on evicting you, but if you're gonna take that stance that makes things so much easier!"

"Evicting me?!" Hayajihime lost her composure, spreading her stance and holding out her hands as if to strangle her owner. Her face contorted in comical anger, "You can't evict part of your soul, you moron!! We're permanently bonded for all eternity!!"

Kazuko pouted, "Dang it! …You're still paying for rent."

"RENT?!"

"Enough." Halibel narrowed her eyes, "Mila-Rose. Apache. Silence them."

Flashing forward, Apache struck Kazuko on the back of the head and let her fall, Mila-Rose catching her with one arm while using her free hand to untie the zanpakuto and toss it to Sun-Sun.

Halibel nodded, "Good. Now, take her and her zanpakuto to Sun-Sun's room."

* * *

Despite having been given her zanpakuto and free reign of Halibel's entire domain, Kazuko still found staying at the female Espada's to be quite… restrictive.

"Your curfew is half passed eight."

"…I have a curfew?"

"And you are not to walk around unless you have the permission either myself, Mila-Rose, Sun-Sun or Apache to leaving Sun-Sun's room."

"I have to have permission to leave the room?"

"And you are not to leave my domain unless accompanied by myself or one of my Fraccion."

"I have to have a babysitter?!"

"…Raise you voice again and you will be confined to Sun-Sun's room for a week."

"…I can get _grounded_?!" Kazuko whispered.

Staying with Halibel was much like staying with a babysitter or your mother's friend… or just someone who had experience with children, had decided long ago that they were sick of them, and stuck with dealing with them by taking away any opportunity for the children to wreak havoc or have fun.

Halibel was the anti-fun.

The anti-fun like the grey old granny babysitter.

And Kazuko didn't like it. Not one bit.

'That can only mean I'll end up doing one thing.' Kazuko cackled to herself, sitting on her cot in Sun-Sun's room and rubbing her hands together with a demented grin on her face.

…_Kazuko, I cannot condone thi—_

"**I sure as hell can!!"**Alexis shouted over Hayajihime, cackling as well, **"C'mon! I'll even **_**help**_** you this time around!!"**

…_Bad things are sure to happen if _you_ are agreeing to help, Hollow._

"**Shut yer trap, Zanpakuto."**

Standing, Kazuko hunched over and tiptoed to the door, pressing herself against it and closing her eyes.

"…**All clear."** Alexis muttered after a moment.

Kazuko nodded, opening her eyes. Halibel's reiatsu was not in the area, and neither were Sun-Sun and Mila-Rose's. Apache was in her room, and her reiatsu was smooth and calm, suggesting she was sleeping.

'It's the only time anyone's reiatsu is that calm… and the only way I would imagine Apache being that calm.'

Moving slowly, Kazuko carefully suppressed her reiatsu until it was minute, then opened the door a crack and squeezed through.

She remained high-strung and tense until she was out of the domain, at which point she was absolutely petrified.

"Not a good idea, not a good idea, _nooooooot_ a good _ideaaaaaaaa_…" She sang under her breath as she trotted around the halls, head jerking back and forth for any sighting of Arrancar.

What seemed to be familiar halls soon became indistinguishable halls, doors all seemingly placed the same and any imperfections like scuffs on the floor melding together to become part of the palace's decorations.

Within mere moments, Kazuko was far away from Halibel's domain and completely and utterly lost.

"…**Well, I clean my hands of this mess."**Alexis said, somewhat guiltily.

…_Nicely played, Hollow._Hayajihime hissed snidely.

"Any help would be much appreciated. If you have nothing, please silence yourselves…" Kazuko muttered, stopping at a crossroads and looking between the corridors around her.

The two fell silent.

"Mrow." Kazuko whimpered, crouching and looking around. One hand gripped Hayajihime, fiddling with the gold wrapping of the hilt.

"Looks like yer in quite a fix, ey, Miss Kazuko?"

Kazuko tensed, hand tightening on the hilt of the blade she was now wishing she had left behind… Or rather, now wishing she had never left her assigned room at all.

"Awww, c'mon, Miss Kazu. Don't be so tense around ol' Gin, eh?" She could imagine the grin on his face as he walked up behind her, "We're friends, ain't we?"

"Sure, Cap'n!" Kazuko said brightly, jumping to her feet and turning around, smiling widely. "We've been friends since that first day in the Academy, about three years ago now, eh?"

Gin nodded jovially, "That thar sounds _about_right, Miss Kazu. But I'd say it was a bit earlier than that; when ya first stumbled into my apartment and collapsed for a nap after havin' all those unseated underlings chasin' after ya."

"…" Kazuko giggled, "Did you _know_ I came into your apartment that night, Cap'n?"

"That I did." Gin nodded again, "Though' you could use a bit of a rest after runnin' all night."

"…Actually, Cap'n…" Kazuko's smile faded slightly, "Lord Aizen… wanted you to let me rest… so that the captains would have time to mobilize, right?"

Gin stopped walking forward, waiting.

"Because if the captains, themselves, had to mobilize to capture me, then the General-Captain himself would have had to meet with me. It was that which resulted in my placement among the Gotei… and later the assurance that I would be defected after becoming a vizard. Because Lord Aizen sensed it from the beginning; the Hollow that lay dormant in me. Because he knew he had an Arrancar here who held sway over me, and he wanted his Espada to have firsthand experience with a vizard, because he knew that those he had defected a century ago would come for revenge; the eight former captains and lieutenants of the Gotei."

While she had spoken, Gin's smile grew wider and wider, and his eyes had slowly began to open. His odd, claret-purple eyes shone as he giggled, "It's true what they say about you, ain't it, Miss Kazu? Ya really are brighter than ya let on."

Kazuko smiled, "'Brightness' is in the eyes of the beholder, Cap'n. If it happens to blind others into misconception, it hardly stands as my fault."

"True, true." Gin nodded, walking forward again, "Tell me, though, why did ya see fit to display this level of competence to me? Sosuke's right-hand man?"

"…Maybe because I know that you don't tell Lord Aizen everything you know." Kazuko shrugged, "Otherwise, you wouldn't be the one coming for me when I've managed to get myself lost."

Gin nodded again, standing next to her now. He leaned in, muttering, "Correct. Also, if I told Sosuke everythin', Nnoitra would be dead for what he did to ya."

Kazuko's grip tightened on her zanpakuto, her jaw clenching.

"Tell me, Kazu." Gin went on, speaking informally, "Why did ya really save Nnoitra? Do _you_ even know?"

"…Why would you care about the life of a pawn?"

"Personal interest, Kazu. Pure and simple. Nothin' more and nothin' less than me wantin' to see how you'll react when ya realize the truth."

"…Truth?"

"About why ya really saved the Cinco."

"…Because I didn't want his blood shed."

"Yeah, but _why_?"

"Because I don't want anyone's blood shed for the sake of my life."

"Errr!" Gin took a step back and flicking Kazuko's forehead, grinning normally with his eyes shut, "Wrong answer!"

Kazuko blinked, shocked.

Gin giggled, "Tee-hee, ya tellin' me ya really haven't thought about it, Kazu? C'mon! I'd expect more of a blindin'ly bright girl like you!"

"…Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaah…" Kazuko tilted her head, blinking, "'Cuz I'd rather Tesla not have a reason to kick my fanny?"

Gin giggled again, shaking his head, "C'mon, Miss Kazu. I'll take ya back to Bel-Bel's place. First, though," He held out his pinky, "We share a pact. A pact between liars and snakes."

Kazuko blinked, then snickered and took his pinky in hers.

"We'll never let on any more than we care to, and this conversation never happened s'long as we're in the accompan'yment of others, ne?"

Kazuko smiled, "You never tell anyone I'm not a ditz, and I'll never tell anyone your eye color."

"Oh, heaven forbid _anyone_ know that!" They shared a giggle.

Kazuko knew she was treading thin and breaking ice. Hayajihime had been stiff in her mind and Alexis had been hissing and spitting in anger, disgust, and fear. Gin Ichimaru was _not_ a person you played with.

But Kazuko had no choice. The spiel she had rambled out had tightened the noose around her neck, yes, but it had also lengthened her rope.

Back at the entrance to Halibel's domain, Sun-Sun had tensed upon opening the door and flung it open widely, bowing while calling out, "Lady Halibel! Sir Ichimaru has arrived, and he brings Kazuko with him!"

Mila-Rose and Apache ran in at this, Halibel power walking in right after them. While her Fraccion bowed lowly, Halibel lowered her head considerably, "Sir Ichimaru, I thank you for findi—"

"Miss Kazu and I just went for a walk." Gin cut her off, tilting his head and grinning, "I needed a good talkin' buddy since Kaname's a bit peeved at me right now for stealin' his visor and drawin' cartoon eyes on it again."

Kazuko giggled, "You really shouldn't be so mean to Captain Tosen, Cap'n."

"Neither of us are captains anymore, Miss Kazu." Gin said, his smile fading slightly as he looked down at her. It returned a moment later, though, as he went on, "Ya can just call us 'Mr. Gin' and 'Mr. Kaname'."

"Hehe, informal as that sounds, sir, I think I'll stick with 'Mr. Ichimaru' and 'Mr. Tosen' if it's all the same to you." Kazuko smiled sheepishly.

"Mrow." Gin frowned. "Well, iffin' ya insist, Miss Kazu." He smiled widely, patting her head, "Have a good day now, Miss Kazu! And remember, liars and snakes!" He turned and waltzed off.

"Bye-bye, Mr. Ichimaru!" Kazuko waved after him, then turned back to the Arrancar and smiled sheepishly again. "Hehe… sorry?"

"…If you were accompanied by Sir Ichimaru, then it is none of our concern." Halibel said evenly, "Now, if you will please return to Sun-Sun's room…"

Kazuko ran off immediately, diving onto her cot and covering herself with her blanket.

Instead of sleeping, though, she remained awake for several hours, thinking about the words she and the ex-shinigami had exchanged.

She also thought about how the whole walk back, neither of them had removed their hands from their swords.

"Lady Halibel said you're grounded." Sun-Sun yawned as she walked in, flopping down onto her bed.

…She also thought about how Gin now owed her a week of room-leaving privileges.

* * *

Ultimately, though, Kazuko wondered why she had really saved Nnoitra from a fate he had so justly earned.

* * *

Rayna: Ladies and gentlemen, if you haven't noticed there has been a subtle (or not-so-subtle, depending on the way you've read this chapter) shift in the story. I have written a three-part Nnoitra/Kazuko add-on for Days of our Afterlife, the reading of which is entirely optional and will not affect your viewing of the end of the story in the least if you choose to skip it. The chapters will be titled "AU: Open Eyes" followed by "Part I/ II/ and III" respectively.

...Truth be told, I think the universe was poking my brain when I wrote this, but I've been told (by a good friend, Halibel Lecter) that it's good, so I'm putting it up.

Because of the content of the second part, I'll be changing the rating of this story from 'T' to 'M'.

For those of you who don't understand what this implies, the second part gets rather... smutty, I suppose. (If you think that the level the second part rises to doesn't require the rating change, please inform me. I've never written something like this, so I really don't know.)

There will be a content warning at the beginning of each part, just for the benefit of those who are not reading it now.

Again, the reading of these three chapters is entirely optional, and in no way, shape, or form will you be missing out on anything if you choose to skip them.

Also, I do hope that this does not lead to any of you ceasing to read this story; and if it does I apologize.


	42. AU Open Eyes: Part I

Alrighty, then, Ladies and Lazy Gents, I present you with "Open Eyes: Part I". Truthfully, I never intended to actually write this, but the idea came to me while I was working and when I was in front of my computer it wouldn't leave me alone. I typed a few paragraphs, just to humor it, and before I knew it I had a full eight pages of something that seemed to match the quality of my other writing.

Then, I decided I wanted it as an un-posted one-shot, but Halibel (Lecter, that is, my good friend on this sight) said that it was good and worth positing, so I'm taking her word for it. As you can tell, this is more than just a one-shot, now; it's the first chapter in a series of three.

Each of the three chapters is labeled AU (alternate universe), but whether or not it actually takes place during the story is entirely up to you. There will be hints here and there in the main storyline, but hints alone. Any actual Kazu/Nnoi (other than the molestation scene in the last chapter, if that can even be counted) will be in these three chapters.

**WARNING: THESE CHAPTERS WILL CROSS BOUNDARIES, AND I AM SURE YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN. IF THIS IS NOT TO YOUR LIKING, FEEL FREE TO SKIP THESE CHAPTERS AS THEY APPEAR, AND FEAR NOT; SKIPPING THEM WILL NOT CAUSE YOU TO BECOME CONFUSED LATER ON. AGAIN, THESE CHAPTERS WILL GET SMUTTY. THEY ARE ALSO WHY I AM CHANGING THE RATING FROM 'T' TO 'M', BUT NO OTHER 'MATURE' MOMENTS WILL APPEAR IN ANY AREAS OTHER THAN THESE THREE CHAPTERS.**

Also, forgive me if these are poorly written intimate moments; this is my first time writing something like this and I really have no experience with the subject matter, whatsoever.

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Amalia) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

* * *

(Open Eyes: Part I)

There were many things in the world that Nnoitra Jiruga didn't understand.

One was quantum mechanics.

The other was why 'pants' was plural and 'bra' was singular when they were both referring to one item.

Nnoitra didn't care, though, because quantum mechanics was irrelevant to his line of work and the only thing he cared about in relation to pants and bras was how quickly he could get them off a girl.

No, what Nnoitra _did_ care about was something much more complex, and still something he didn't understand.

Nnoitra didn't understand _why_that Kazuko-bitch had saved him.

He had nearly _raped_ her, for Aizen's sake! He should be dead for it, even he would admit that! But he wasn't. She hadn't turned him in. And he had no clue why.

'And it's driving me _fucking_ nuts!!'

True, like quantum mechanics it wasn't relevant to his job, and sure it had nothing to do with bedding another girl, but unlike them this just wasn't something his mind was going to let him drop. Which isn't to say he hadn't been trying. He had been trying. Really, really hard. He was actually putting effort into his attempts, which, for Nnoitra, is saying something. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't forget it.

Even during the meeting that day, he couldn't forget it.

After their usual opening ritual of drinking tea (which Nnoitra, so distracted by his thoughts, actually drank for once), Aizen began to prattle on about increasing security and getting a new import in more loose-leaf ginseng from some remote mountain in northern China.

As he usually did, Nnoitra began to zone out, trying to think of something, anything, else.

When the memory of Kazuko beneath him, her head tossed back and a scream tearing from her throat, surfaced, Nnoitra winced, 'Anything _except_ that!'

But it was as if that one flash was enough to summon the whole memory.

His mind hazed out without his permission, putting him back on Tesla's futon with Kazuko's slim hips between his knees, hands up her shirt and roaming over her small body. He saw the fear and pain in her eyes as he ground his hips down, making her arch and squirm. She had been trying to get away, but it had only excited him.

Her skin had been smooth and hot, shuddering under his quick hands and assaulting mouth. Against his thin, cold lips, hers had been fleshy and warm, her mouth moist and inviting. Every inch of her had been, and still was, untouched, innocent, inexperienced.

And Nnoitra had been prepared to teach her everything he knew, even if the lesson was unwanted.

Then she had screamed and flared her reiatsu, and he had known it was over. She had poured out so much there would have been no way in hell that even Aizen wouldn't have _not_ noticed it.

'Fuck, he probably did feel it…' Nnoitrasneered to himself, 'That'd explain why Ichimaru showed up…'

Nnoitra had gotten off of her as quickly as he could, but he had been too shocked by her overcoming the sedative to think to run before anyone arrived. And when Gin had come and demanded an explanation, Nnoitra was sure he was dead, whether she was able to speak or not.

She had then shocked him further by trying to speak.

"_Nnn… nnnn…"_ 'Nnoitra.' He had thought she was going to stutter. _"Nnnnn…"_

'_Just fuckin' say it!'_ He had been thinking. _'Spit it out, bitch! It's what everyone's countin' on! Just fuckin' say 'Nnoi', and that'll be enough. Just the first syllable of my name will be enough to get that bastard to draw his blade and 'shoot' me.'_

Then, she had said it.

_Kazuko gritted her teeth, struggling to sit up, "N… nightmare…" Sighing, Kazuko fell back against the sofa, repeating over and over, "Nightmare… nightmare… nightmare…"_

Nightmare. Not Nnoitra. _Nightmare_.

'Even drugged and violated, the fuckin' bitch still spared me.' Nnoitra scoffed, eyes narrowing, 'That thin hipped, soft skinned, hot bodied little whelp spared me. Spared _me_, the _Cinco Espada_. She had _my life_ in her hands, and the bitch spared me.'

Then, as if to add insult to injury, she'd gone to sleep almost immediately afterwards, acting as if nothing had happened. And even after that, after throwing salt on his injuries the previous night, the next morning she had basically pissed in them by screwing around and acting like saving him had been and meant _nothing_.

Then, she had left, or been taken(either way), and handed over to Halibel. She was still with Halibel. And he hadn't heard from or seen her.

"Not that I fuggin' care." Nnoitra muttered to himself, propping one arm against the table and leaning his face against it lazily. "For all I care the bitch can go get herself devoured by a Gillian."

"Is there something you would care to share with the rest of us, Nnoitra?"

Nnoitratwitched and looked down the table, twitching again when he saw the whole table staring at him, Aizen smiling.

"Well, Nnoitra? You seemed quite interested in whatever you were muttering about, so perhaps we all would find it as engaging as you did?"

"…I don't think you would…" Nnoitra muttered, gaze flickering away from the ex-shinigami's eyes and to the empty space just above his shoulder.

"Oh? What a shame…" Aizen's smile twitched, "Perhaps you'd like to… take a break and collect your thoughts?"

Nnoitra's jaw clenched, "Nah, I'm go—"

"I _insist_, Nnoitra, fifth of my dear Espada." Aizen almost crooned, "Stand and leave."

Body stiff with embarrassment and anger, Nnoitra pushed himself up from his seat and stalked towards the door, teeth gritting when he saw that Gin's infuriating grin had been turned towards him.

Outside of the meeting room, once the door had shut, Nnoitra turned his anger on an unfortunate passing Numeros and grabbed the weaker Arrancar by the throat, picking it up and slamming it into the wall so hard every bone in its body shattered.

Anger somewhat sated, Nnoitra turned and began to storm down the hall, growling when his mind, once again, began to wander back to smooth, pale skin, wide green eyes, and a hot body.

The memory was enough to make his lower gut pang and writhe, heat building up.

'Fuck, this ain't the time for that.' He thought, groaning to himself in frustration, 'I should be fuckin' furious at the bitch for what she's done to me… _is doing_to me. First she fuckin' gets two other Espada and one of Aizen's commanders on me, then she fuckin' insults me by acting like what happened was nothing, now she's gotten me thrown out of a meeting and embarrassed in front of all those bastards. Shit, this is _worse_ than death…'

Still… that was if Nnoitra seriously _cared_ about his position, and he supposed that, in a sense, he did… But really only so long as it held interest to him. If it didn't interest him, he couldn't care less.

Really, he didn't so much care that Kazuko had compromised his place in the Espada; if they brought someone to challenge his position all he had to do was beat them to death. It was power that assured his position, and he had plenty of it to keep his place secure. No, what he actually cared about… was the _why_.

"_Because I'd rather no one get killed on my behalf."_

He supposed he could believe that, but still…

'Somethin' else… there was somethin' in her eyes… her face… Not having others killed for her wasn't the only reason. It may have been the easiest, but there was somethin' else.'

At least that's what he thought, after having her facing him at his eyelevel. There had been something in her eyes that led him to suspect…

What?

What was it he suspected? What alternative reason could she have to spare his life? Because she wanted him to be in her debt? Because she wanted a powerful ally in this dangerous place? Because she wanted to use him? Because she wanted to trick him? Or… was it something completely different? Could it be because she ca—

"No." Nnoitra spat, stopping and glaring down at his hands. "Not even possible."

He was disgusted with himself for even thinking along those lines. She was nothing more than a female; an out-of-reach fuck. She was a naïve, soft little virgin girl who, according to words from her own mouth, "…didn't learn until I was ten what the biggest anatomical difference between a male and a female was."

…Still, his mind took him back to that night yet again, making him remember the way she had looked at him while those who had threatened his life had left the room, and he distinctly remembered the relief he saw there… Relief because he had not been killed, coming from those same eyes that had not twenty minutes earlier held fear as he loomed over her, his hand in her pants, fingers inching under the band of her underwear…

She had to have known what he was planning, Nnoitra thought as he sped up, walking down halls mindlessly. She simply had to have. There was no female alive who wouldn't instinctively panic at having someone get that close to them, who wouldn't know in the backs of their minds what they were protecting. She was supposed to be a teenager, about sixteen or seventeen by human years. There was simply _no way_ she couldn't have known.

'So why did she—'

Nnoitra stopped, staring at the room in front of him.

It was one of the darker rooms in Las Noches, oblong and thin, stretching out perpendicular to the hall that cut through it, the same hall Nnoitra had been walking down. Two short pedestals stood in each curve of the oval room, holding nothing and existing for no other reason than for architectural appeal.

Nnoitra had passed through this room hundreds, thousands, of times without a second thought, though this time something stopped him. A familiar reiatsu, purposely made small by the bearer for the sake of being unnoticed. But he noticed it. How could he not, when he'd been thinking about the owner of it all day?

Glancing to the left, he saw a shadow hunkered down on the other side of the pedestal, knees drawn up to its chest and head tucked into the small nook created by its arms.

After pausing to consider just walking on, Nnoitra turned and walked towards the pedestal, staring down at the sleeping Kazuko with a blank expression.

She must have felt him, because after a moment she stirred and lifted her head, yawning and blinking. She looked around blearily, body tensing when her sleepy eyes settled on Nnoitra's long legs. Slowly, Kazuko's head tilted up until she was looking at his face, which he had tilted down in order to see her small form properly while standing so close.

Slowly, twitchingly, Kazuko smiled, "Hehe… Hey, Sir Nnoitra…"

Nnoitra sniffed, "Drop the 'sir' shit. Ain't to my likin'."

"…Nnoitra, then…" Carefully, Kazuko stood and turned, taking a few steps back, facing him and staring up. "Uhhhh… what's up?" She winced.

One of the greater boundaries that stood between them; height.

"Nice." Nnoitra rolled his eyes, then reached out and grabbed her forearms, lifting her.

Kazuko stiffened, regretting not asking if she could take her zanpakuto with her… or rather, simply regretting sneaking out of Halibel's domain when she was at a meeting and her three Fraccion had gone off to train.

But, surprising her greatly, Nnoitra did nothing. Though he did pause, taking a moment to let his fingers feel the softness of the exposed skin on her arms, about two inches of it between the shoulders of her uniform and the detached sleeves, he immediately turned after that pause, setting her feet down on the top of the pedestal.

Kazuko blinked. She was several feet taller, now, but she still barely passed his chest.

"Jeez…" Nnoitra smirked, "You really are fuckin' short, aren't ya?"

"…Mrow." Kazuko pouted, slumping forward.

"…" Nnoitra stared at her for a moment, his smirk fading. "Hey."

Kazuko looked up, tilting her head in silent question.

Nnoitra took a moment, then said, "I don't buy it."

"…Eh?"

"That shitty explanation you gave a few days ago." Nnoitra scowled, "I don't buy it."

Kazuko blinked, "Expla—"

Nnoitra leaned forward quickly, grabbing her forearms again and looming over her, bending her back so the tips of her feet left the pedestal and she was only balanced on her heels. He leaned in close to her face, sneering, "Your 'reason' for saving me. I don't buy it. Not as it bein' the whole truth. It may be part of it, but it ain't the whole thing, and I don't like being lied to."

Kazuko twitched, leaning her head back and turning her face away, "Ehhhhh…"

"I'll give you one last chance." Nnoitra growled, "Tell me: Why did you save me?"

She sighed, then looked back at him, staring at him blankly.

Nnoitra blinked and pulled his head back slightly; he had thought it impossible for her face to look as serious as it did just then…

He watched her blank face, studying her eyes closely. She could guard her face well, but her eyes seemed to be left open, as if she didn't know what others could see in them.

He'd never tell her, though. It left her open to him, and he liked that.

She seemed to be thinking, considering whether or not she should actually tell him.

"Don't lie to me…" He growled, low and warning.

Kazuko blinked, face not changing but her eyes flashing. Then, she did something that caught him completely off guard. She leaned forward and kissed him.

It was quick; tightlipped, closemouthed, she had leaned forward a bit too quickly so that their lips met with a bit too much force, and she had pulled back within seconds. It was more of a peck, really. But it was still a kiss.

Nnoitra balked slightly, her feet meeting the top of the pedestal fully as his arms righted her when he pulled back. He stared down at her, shocked.

Kazuko blinked and tilted her head, staring up at him innocently with a slight blush on her cheeks.

Nnoitra twitched, then backed away, slapping his forehead and sighing, "Greaaaaaaat…"

"Whaaaaaat?!" Kazuko whined, crossing her arms and sticking out her lower lip.

He rolled his eyes, "Go figure the one person who would actually be interested in me is a vizard, an inexperienced virgin, allied with the enemy, and not even half my height."

Kazuko pursed her lips and stomped her foot, "You're an Arrancar, I am _not_ allied with the enemy, it's not my fault your freakishly tall, and…" She trailed off, looking away and blushing.

"…" Nnoitra turned to her, smirking, "Well… I suppose experience is something gained, isn't it?"

She jumped at this, nearly falling off of the pedestal. An arm, though, wrapped around her waist and pulled her back, her body slamming into a hard chest. Kazuko looked up with wide eyes, shuddering slightly at the crazed grin Nnoitra had on his face.

"Don't look like that." Nnoitra crooned, "Isn't this what you wanted?" He gave her no time to answer as he pulled her up to his face, his lips crashing against hers.

He wasn't gentle; by nature, Nnoitra wasn't a gentle person. But he was slow, and he did show some semblance of patience as Kazuko adjusted herself, squirming against him to get herself comfortable.

Once a pace had been set, he chose to disrupt it by running his tongue over her lips, growling when she jerked. One hand settled on the back of her head, forcing her to stay in place as his tongue pried her lips apart, thrusting into her mouth. He held her still, grip tight, until she stopped fighting, then relaxed his hold, picking up with running his tongue over hers.

Tentatively, Kazuko tried to return the action, stopping when he chuckled.

"You really do suck…" He thrust his tongue back into her mouth after saying this, dominating the situation.

Kazuko could only return the simplest of motions as he walked over to the wall, pinning her in place between the solid surface and his body. Hands free, he ran them up and down her body roughly, slipping them under her shirt and enjoying her skin.

She jerked and gasped when he touched a soft spot too roughly, pain shooting through her side.

Nnoitra paused, then ran a finger back over the same spot, being lighter this time. He grinned into her mouth when she shuddered. "Gonna have to remember that spot later, aren't I?" He could almost feel the heat radiating off of her face when she blushed. "For now, though…" He ran his thumb over the skin, pressing and capturing her open mouth with his when she moaned.

Slowly, Kazuko raised her arms and slipped them over Nnoitra's shoulders, lacing her fingers through his hair.

After several minutes, Nnoitra stopped abruptly and pulled back, looking around and scowling.

Hair mussed, cheeks red and lips swollen, Kazuko blinked at him blearily, "Nnoitra?…"

"Someone sees us, I'll be killed and you'll be imprisoned." Nnoitra growled, pulling away from the wall and wrapping his arms around her. "Gotta go somewhere else…" He turned and started running.

Kazuko blinked up at him, "Where?"

He just smirked down at her, "Where do you think?" He giggled madly when her eyes widened, her face turning bright red.

* * *

Nnoitra liked her eyes.

She could guard her face well, but her eyes seemed to be left open, as if she didn't know what others could see in them.

He'd never tell her, though. It left her open to him, and he liked that.

He hadn't taken her; she'd panicked when he tried to untie her hakama. It annoyed him, but he could live with it. She was, after all, an 'indefinite guest', as Aizen called her. Sooner or later, he'd get her. It wouldn't be gentle, but it would be slow.

He'd have to keep it a secret; if anyone other than Tesla found out, he'd be killed.

She wouldn't say anything; of that much he was sure. She was good at playing dumb… or, at least, he was somewhat sure it was playing. Still, he really did wonder…

Regardless, when he saw her on his bed, sleeping on her stomach with her head turned to the side, mouth open slightly, covered in his blankets, he knew she didn't belong anywhere else. No matter how stupid she acted, how stupid she really was, or who she was under her façade, she was his.

He liked her eyes.

They left her open; gave him the advantage.

And he liked being dominant.


	43. Trip to Dr Szayel

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Amalia) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

(Trip to Dr. Szayel)

"Orihime's here?!" Kazuko asked, excited.

Apache frowned at her, "Yeah. She hasn't been here too long, but—"

"Can I go see her?"

"…Probably not."

"May I ask?"

"I ain't gonna stop ya."

"Lady Halibel!!"

"…What now, Kazuko?"

"Can I go see Orihime?"

"…After your doctor's appointment."

Kazuko tensed, twitching. Halibel had gone through with her promise to Hayajihime to speak to Szayel and had secured a 'doctor's appointment', though Kazuko had a sneaking suspicion that the term was used… rather loosely in Las Noches.

"Do I gotta?" Kazuko whimpered, covering her head with her arms and sulking.

"Yes." Halibel answered immediately, not looking up from the book she was reading.

"Do I really gotta?"

"Yes."

"Do I _really_ gotta?"

"Yes."

"Do I _really_, _really_ gotta?"

"Yes."

"Do I—"

"No leisure walking privileges for a week." Halibel turned the page.

"…Dang it."

"Book?" Halibel pulled a picture book seemingly out of nowhere and held it out.

Kazuko blinked, "Where did you get that?"

The Espada didn't answer, still holding the book out.

"You have a hammerspace, don't you?" When Halibel still didn't answer, Kazuko took the book and flipped it open, giggling and clapping her hands, "Yay! Pictures!!"

At that moment, two fat, black and white stripped creatures popped out of the ceiling, falling and bouncing up and down beside Halibel.

Kazuko stared at them, then smiled and pointed, "Tweedledee and Tweedledum!!"

"Master sent us! Master sent us!" The two creatures chimed in unison, jumping up and down.

Halibel sighed, looking up from her book, "What does Szayel want?"

"Appointment! Doctor's appointment!" The two creatures chimed together, again.

"Thank you for informing me." Halibel nodded, standing, "Please return to Szayel and inform him that we will be there shortly." When the creatures had gone, the Espada picked up her book and nodding to Kazuko, "Let's go."

Forgetting the picture book, Kazuko jumped to her feet and skipped after the tall woman, "So who were those little creatures?"

"Considering they're taller than you I would hardly call them 'little'," Halibel muttered, walking out of her domain and down the hall, "But their names are Lumina and Verona. They are two of Szayel's many Fraccion."

"Who's Szayel?"

"The Octava Espada and head of research development for Las Noches."

Kazuko froze, twitching, "You mean like Mr. Yuri?"

Halibel stopped, glancing over her shoulder, "I am unfamiliar with this 'Mr. Yuri', but please keep following. I'd like to keep this appointment as short as possible."

Now silent, Kazuko jogged to catch up to Halibel, keeping as close to her as she dared.

This did not slip passed the Espada's notice. "Who is this 'Mr. Yuri'?"

"Mayuri Kurotsuchi." Kazuko muttered, "Captain of the Twelfth Division and President of the Shinigami Research Institute…"

"A shinigami, then." Halibel blinked, "And I take it from your reaction that you and he are acquainted?"

"…He's the reason I have an inner Hollow."

Halibel stopped walking, turning back and staring down at the young vizard. "You have nothing to worry about. Szayel won't try to do more that what is absolutely necessary." Noticing the openly skeptical look Kazuko was giving her, Halibel blinked slowly, "…I'll stay with you the whole time, alright?"

Kazuko smiled and linked arms with the Espada, "Thanks, Lady Hal!"

Halibel twitched, "Please refrain from addressing me so informally." She tried to pull her arm back, but Kazuko only held on tighter.

"You got it, Lady Hal!"

"I don't think you understood my request…"

"…Hal?"

"That's even more informal."

"…Bel-Bel?"

"Now you're just pushing." Halibel growled.

"Sorry, Lady Halibel." Kazuko giggled, wincing and drawing back behind the Espada when they stopped before a great set of doors. She now clung to the taller woman's arm with both hands.

Sighing, Halibel reached out and knocked on the door once, solidly, standing tall when the doors swung inward.

The room beyond the doors was shadowed, but the doorway let in an arc of light. Within that arc stood a lone figure dressed in white, arms crossed over his chest and one hand raised to push his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

"Ahh, Halibel." He grinned, amber eyes flashing as he brushed pink hair out of his line of vision, "I can always rely on you, at least, to arrive on time for your appointments."

"Szayel." Halibel nodded, reaching behind her and grabbing Kazuko's arm, pulling her around, "The appointment is for her, actually."

"Ah, yes." Szayel's grin widened, "The vizard." He nodded to Kazuko, "Szayel Aporro Grantz, Octava Espada."

"…Pretty!!" Kazuko exclaimed, holding her arms out and smiling widely.

Szayel twitched, his grin fading.

When a heavy hand dropped onto her head, Kazuko glanced over her shoulder and up at the now glaring Halibel.

"Must you seek to make enemies?"

"…But he's pretty." Kazuko muttered, slumping and pouting, "I can't help that."

Halibel just rolled her eyes, "Go inside."

Kazuko slumped further, looking at Szayel with some apprehension as he nodded and stepped aside, gesturing to the dark depths of his domain.

"Please, do come in."

She hesitated, but when Halibel nudged her gently, Kazuko stumbled forward, keeping her eyes lowered as she followed Szayel's heels. When the door closed behind her and they were surrounded by almost complete darkness, her only comfort was Halibel's even step behind her.

"Ya know, I have wondered," Kazuko muttered out loud, trying to keep her mind occupied, "Why some of the male Espada have the feminine conjugation of their numbers rather than the masculine."

Szayel paused, glancing over his shoulder, "I beg your pardon?"

Kazuko looked up, barely able to make out his face in the near darkness, "In Spanish, masculine words end in 'o' and feminine in 'a'. Grimmjow introduced himself as the Sext_a_ Espada rather than the Sext_o_, and you introduced yourself as Octav_a_ rather than Octav_o_."

"…Well, then, it would appear as though you do have some academic intelligence, contrary to popular belief." Szayel smirked, "The reason is simple; the original Espada who held the titles of 'Sixth' and 'Eighth' were female. In fact, most of the original Espada were female."

"Oh." Kazuko blinked.

Szayel nodded, then faced forward again and continued walking.

The room he led them to… nearly made Kazuko burst into laugher.

"Nya-hahahahahahaha!!"

…Never mind. She did burst into laughter.

Halibel and Szayel stared at Kazuko, the latter twitching, as she fell to her knees in the center of the small room, clutching her stomach and laughing loudly.

"Just what," Szayel hissed as her laughter died to giggles, "Is so amusing?"

Kazuko snickered, then turned and smiled widely at Szayel, wiping the tears out of her eyes, "Why does this room look like the waiting room at a clinic?"

And the room did, greatly, resemble the waiting room of a medical clinic; it was a small room with blue speckled grey carpet, sandy brown walls with white trim, two blue cotton duck fabric benches, and a round table in the in an otherwise empty corner, scattered with magazines.

"Because," Szayel breathed, "This is the waiting room of my clinic."

This just made Kazuko laugh harder.

Twitching, Szayel turned to Halibel and muttered, "I'll be back when I'm ready." He then walked across the room, making sure to avoid Kazuko as much as possible, and went through another door, slamming it behind him.

"Kazuko," Halibel sighed, walking to a bench, "Get off the floor and take a seat."

Nodding, Kazuko reduced her laughter to giggles again, walking to the table and rifling through the magazines.

"Las Noches Times, Espada Illustrated, CosmoFraccion, InAizen, Numeros Fitness, HuecoCulture…" Giggling, Kazuko picked up a magazine called simply 'Arrancar' and sat down beside Halibel, flipping through the pages. "…Hey, look! They did an article on you! …Nice picture."

"…Thank you."

Fifteen minutes later, the door opened and the two fat Arrancar bounced out, chiming, "Master's ready, Master's ready!!"

"Let's go." Halibel stood, laying a hand on Kazuko's back as she rose and pushing her towards the door.

"Lumina, Verona," Szayel muttered as they walked in, waving off his Fraccion, "You may leave, now."

"Bye, Tweedledee!" Kazuko waved after them, smiling, "Bye, Tweedledum!"

"Miss Kuruyaki, please sit." The scientist sighed.

Complying wincingly, Kazuko perched on the end of the room's plush examining bed, shuddering when the sterile paper between her and the leather cushion crinkled.

"Nervous?" Szayel asked airily as he pulled a wheeled tray up beside the bed, sitting.

"Don't like hospitals or clinics." Kazuko muttered, keeping her eyes on Halibel as the Espada leaned against the wall across from her, watching Szayel work. "What am I here for, again?"

"A sedative, or sleep aid, so that you can get the proper amount of rest each night." Szayel answered, "After hearing about your waning health from both Stark and Halibel, Lord Aizen decided that you needed both a checkup and a sedative. Now, shirt off, please."

Kazuko stared at him, twitching.

Szayel rolled his eyes, "Just take it off."

She twitched again, then unzipped her shirt, leaving the sleeves on but removing the body. "I am _so_ glad Alexis let me keep my bra…"

"That's nice." Szayel sighed, putting on a stethoscope and pressed the head to her back, his other hand pushing against her sternum and pushing her upright, "Breathe in and out, slowly."

Kazuko sighed, then took a deep breath in, held it, then let it out slowly.

"Mmmm-hmmm." Szayel nodded, moving the head of the stethoscope to her chest, above her heart. "Breathe normally." He turned, staring at the clock on the wall, "Mmmm-hmmm. Alright. Now," He turned to the tray, picking up a glass tube and a plastic cylinder with one open end, the closed end pierced with a small plastic tube. "I'm just going to take a quick moment to draw a sample…"

"Sample of what?!" Kazuko scrambled backwards, staring at him as he quirked a brow at her, "What is that?!"

Szayel blinked, then calmly said, "This is a needle sleeve."

"…A-wha?"

"A… needle… sleeve." Szayel repeated, separating the words and carefully taking her arm, "You see, in the plastic tube at the end of the cylinder…" He slid the cylinder along her arm, tightening his grip when she jumped at the needle that slipped out of the thin plastic tube, "Is a sheath for a needle. And this," He held up the glass tube, showing her the rubber end, "Is a vacuum syringe. I just shove it into the cylinder and…" He pushed the rubber end into the cylinder, smirking when Kazuko gapped and stared in morbid fascination as blood immediately filled the tube. "The syringe is filled. This makes drawing blood easy, quick, and far more painless than regular syringes."

Kazuko winced, looking away as he pulled the needle sleeve out, pressing his thumb against the injection point and setting the used materials aside.

After taping a cotton ball to her arm, Szayel nodded to Halibel, "I'll just take this and run some tests. Please, don't let her touch anything." He walked out.

"…So," Kazuko began after a moment, smiling at Halibel, "Is his release even prettier?"

The Espada just rolled her eyes, leaning forward slightly and sighing.

Kazuko sighed, taking her shirt and slipping it back on.

A short time later Szayel returned, a long piece of paper stretched out in front of him. His eyes scanned it intently.

"Let's see…hormone, estrogen, and nutrition levels are all consistent with insomnia, not to mention malnutrition. Considering she's been eating regularly, though, this could be due to stress-induced cachexia or anorexia. Though the stress and depression that she seems to be experiencing, evident by these hormonal imbalances, would lean this more towards anorexia, the fact that she's also borderline anemic leans it equally back towards cachexia. Either way, treatment would be the same; sedatives and intravenous fluids."

Halibel nodded and Kazuko twitched, "The only thing I got out of that was 'IV', and I ain't doin' it."

"You are." Halibel countered.

"Ain't."

"Are."

"Ain't."

"Are."

"Have a nice nap, Miss Kazuko." Szayel interrupted, pulling a syringe out of his sleeve and pricking her shoulder. When she fell to the ground instantly, Halibel glared at Szayel suspiciously.

"Why do you carry drugs like that around on your person?"

"…" Szayel blinked slowly, "Various reasons."

"…I see." Halibel blinked again, "I won't be leaving Kazuko alone with you."

"I don't blame you."


	44. AU Open Eyes: Part II

Alrighty, then, Ladies and Lazy Gents, I present you with "Open Eyes: Part II". Before I get on to the basic warning, I just want to say daaaay-uumm!! I got quite a few hits for that last one... (sweatdrops and smirks) Perverts... Hehe, just kidding.

Anyway, now with the warnings. This. Chapter. Gets. Smutty. I mean smutty, as in, an unfortunate man (or woman) named Smutty McSmutSmut would be interested in reading this smutty. ...I don't know if it's good enough for Mr. McSmutSmut to read all the way through, but Halibel (Lecter, once again) seemed to like it, so I'm assuming he would...

Long story short; if you do not want to read about sex, skip to the next chapter... Please! For the love of Gaea, _skip this chapter to skip the sex!!!_

**WARNING: THIS IS THE CHAPTER THAT CROSSES BOUNDARIES. DO NOT READ IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO SEE BOUNDARIES CROSSED. YES, FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE JUST FOCUSING ON THE BOLD RATHER THAN EVERYTHING ELSE ABOVE, I MEAN THAT THIS CHAPTER INCLUDES SEX. IF YOU DON'T WANT TO READ, SKIP.**

...Also, as a side note, did you know the age of consent in Japan is 13? Wow. Compared to the US (18, for those who are unaware), young, eh?

...Also, also, it should be noted that Halibel (Lecter) provided some necessary editing on this chapter. ^.^ Thanks, Hal!

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Amalia) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

(Open Eyes: Part II)

She shuddered as he ran his hands over her hips, his long fingers working in slow circles.

Every time they had met, Nnoitra had worked on discovering more soft spots; more areas that he could press on lightly or roughly to make her tremble and moan. Any protests she made were quickly silenced by his tongue, though it was usually a lot rougher than necessary; her protests were always weak.

This time, though, seemed different… She didn't protest, and he wasn't searching anymore. He was using every spot he had found, working so quickly she didn't have time to protest.

Nnoitra's mouth moved from hers down to her throat, lips kissing her skin and teeth nipping gently, careful not to draw any blood.

His hands moved from her hips to her waist, curling under her hakama and tugging.

Kazuko froze, eyes snapping wide open. "Nn-Nnoi—"

He silenced her by pressing his lips to the crook of her neck, tongue pressing against the soft spot there and making her moan.

She gasped as his lips ran up and down her neck, her hands weakly grabbing his wrists as he began to untie the sash around her waist.

"N-Nnoitra… please…"

He paused, then slid the sash from her body, tossing it aside and setting his hands on her hips. Her hakama was now loose around her waist. Slowly, Nnoitra lifted one of his legs and used his knee to pry hers apart, his thigh rubbing hers.

Kazuko twitched and struggled, breathing becoming panicked and hands trying in vain to push him off.

Growling, Nnoitra grabbed her wrists in one hand and pulled her arms over her head, setting his other hand on her stomach and rubbing in a slow circle. "Be quiet and relax." He ordered, his voice thick. "You'll get hurt if you struggle."

She shuddered, gasping when his hand cupped her breast, rubbing the cloth of her bra.

"Fuckin' a…" He muttered, slipping his hand under her back and unhooking the strap.

Inhaling sharply, Kazuko whimpered and moaned when his hand slid out from under her back and cupped her breast again, this time moving her bra out of the way. She twitched when his thumb flicked over her nipple, clamping her eyes shut.

His hand left her wrists and ran down her body, grabbing one side of her hakama and pulling it down, fingers stroking the exposed skin of her hip. Goosebumps rose on her skin. She shivered as the cold air began to become uncomfortable, whining a little in discomfort.

His lips returning to hers, Nnoitra moved his leg back outside her thighs and ran his hands down her hips, her hakama sliding down to her knees.

Jerking and tearing her lips away from his, Kazuko twisted under him and tried to crawl out from under his arm, shaking violently.

Nnoitra sighed and grabbed her, laying down on her back and pinning her to the bed.

"I said to fuckin' relax." Nnoitra muttered into her ear.

"N-Nnoitra!" She whimpered, squirming under him, "I… I'm not—"

"Reeeeeelaaaaaaaaaaaax…" Nnoitra drawled, lips running across her back and hands massaging her sides, smirking when her tenseness fled beneath his hands and his breath. "Just relax…"

She couldn't help but let out a long sigh, panic leaving her body and her hands unclenching from the fists they had formed.

Nnoitra chuckled, sliding her hakama off of her legs with one foot while pressing a thumb against a persistent knot of muscle up under her shoulder blade, working at it until it snapped and released, flooding her back with heat and relaxing her further.

Kazuko groaned when his lips settled on the spot, sucking at it slowly.

"See?" He muttered, sitting up on his knees and flipping her onto her back, smirking down at her, "Just relax and I'll do the rest."

Flushing, Kazuko looked away as he shed his jacket and hakama, a small whine escaping from the back of her throat when his bare chest pressed against hers, his knees on either side of her ankles.

"Fuck, yer so small…" Nnoitra stared down at her, one of his large hands rubbing the side of her face, "Just like a fuckin' kid…" He shook his head when she looked back at him, "Just how old are you?"

"…seventeen…" She winced when his head fell against the crook of her neck and he laughed against her collarbone. "…what?"

"Nothin'." He snickered. "Yer just one fuckin' tiny seventeen-year-old. And it ain't just because I'm freakishly tall, either."

Kazuko pouted, squirming, "I know, alright?! I know! I'm short! Really, really short!! And I—ah… ah!" She was cut off by Nnoitra's hands grabbing her legs, fingers curling and stroking her inner thighs.

"Yer bein' too loud." Nnoitra sighed, lifting his head and staring at her through slit eyelids. He smirked when her back arched, her hips pressing into his abdomen as his fingers began to knead. "Ya know, I always found it rather amusin' that even a virgin's body knows how to react…"

She stared at him through heavily lidded eyes, her chest heaving. Then, something brushed against the back of her leg; something that wasn't his hands.

Again, she panicked, eyes wide and body thrashing.

Nnoitra swore, wrapping his arms around her and falling on top of her, pinning her and hissing into her ear, "Control your fucking reiatsu before you attract attention. Control it!"

Sobbing, Kazuko closed her eyes and forced her breathing to calm, lowering her borderline flaring energy but remaining tense.

When her reiatsu was back to normal, Nnoitra relented on his almost crushing embrace and raised his head, glaring down at her, "Have I hurt you yet?" When she shook her head he went on, "Have I done anything you didn't want? Didn't ask for? Have I tried to force anything on you?"

"N-no, but—"

"But nothing." Nnoitra growled, "Just calm down, alright? I ain't done nothing yet to make you panic, alright?"

"B-but I felt—"

"Don't worry about it." Nnoitra cut her off quietly, leaning down and kissing her, muttering into her mouth, "Just calm down." He ran his tongue over hers slowly, relaxing his grip further when she kissed him back. When he ran his hand up her leg, though, and she flinched, he sighed irately and pushed himself off of her, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed and clasping his hands across his lap.

Kazuko stared at his back, sitting up slowly and raising an arm to hold her bra over her chest. "…I'm sorry…"

He sighed again, glancing over his shoulder and staring at her wryly, "I have _never_ met someone so willing and unwilling at the same time."

"I… I've never… done this before…" Kazuko weakly muttered, lowering her eyes.

"_That_ much is scathin'ly obvious."

Kazuko winced, drawing back. When Nnoitra swore and sighed again, this time wearily, she looked up at him and watched as he ran a hand through his hair, a look of frustrated confusion on his face.

Nnoitra didn't look back at her when she winced at his words and drew back into herself in defense. He sighed, hunching over and running a hand through his hair, wanting to take her but not wanting to upset her. And, much to his shock and disgust, it wasn't just because he didn't want to be killed… he, himself, actually didn't want her upset. He was… _concerned_ for her.

Nnoitra had no clue when this had turned from a simple affair to an actual attraction, but he knew there was no way he could force her into anything like he had tried to the first time. He couldn't, even if he tried.

'That fuckin' fries it.' Nnoitra growled to himself, 'It ain't happenin'.'

He reached out to grab his hakama from the floor, freezing when a small, soft hand settled on his arm.

"Nnoitra…"

He turned, blinking down at Kazuko and quirking a brow. She had crawled over to him on her hands and knees, long auburn hair draping over one shoulder and the pale skin of her back glowing in the dim lighting of the room, bra discarded. She was looking up at him with her innocent green eyes, a look of determination on her face.

"I'm scared…" She muttered, not taking her eyes from his, "But I…" She flushed, "I never said 'stop'…"

Nnoitra stared at her, unmoving.

Slowly, Kazuko raised her hand and grabbed his shoulder, pulling herself up to his eyelevel. She was trembling as she lifted her other hand and ran her fingers over his lips, but she didn't hesitate to give him a soft kiss.

In an instant Nnoitra had turned around and wrapped his arms around her, his tongue slipping into her mouth hungrily. He smirked when she returned the action, hesitant but not as poorly as she had the first time.

"You're learning." He smirked as he lay her back down onto the bed.

"You're teaching." She muttered back, running her hands over his back.

Nnoitra giggled madly at this, then turned serious, "Ya _do_ realize what—"

"I do." Kazuko interrupted, staring up at him, "And I mean it… I do know. And I… I'm okay…"

Nnoitra nodded, readjusting them both so they were laying down properly.

Kazuko closed her eyes, staying perfectly still as Nnoitra's hands shed her of her last bit of clothing.

"Lemme say it again, just to be clear." Nnoitra said, muttering as he pressed his lips to hers, "Relax. You'll get hurt if you struggle, so just relax and I'll do the rest."

She shuddered, clinging to him as he, once again, pried her knees apart, using _both_ of his own this time.

He wasn't gentle; by nature, Nnoitra wasn't a gentle person. But he was slow, and he did show some semblance of patience as Kazuko adjusted herself, squirming against him to get herself comfortable.

As she had done the first time she had been under him, Kazuko threw her head back, mouth opening. But Nnoitra silenced any noise that would have come from her mouth as he had taken to doing; with his tongue.

She shuddered, clinging to him. She was small for her age. She was innocent. She was untainted. She was completely at his mercy; at the mercy of Nnoitra Jiruga.

Nnoitra wasn't gentle; by nature, Nnoitra wasn't a gentle person. But when she clung to him, shaking but willing, he held her with some semblance of gentleness, if only for the moment.

And, in that moment, she looked at him with eyes that held such…

* * *

Nnoitra liked her eyes.

She could guard her face well, but her eyes seemed to be left open, as if she didn't know what others could see in them.

He'd never tell her, though. It left her open to him, and he liked that.

_This_ time, he _had _taken her. She'd panicked when he tried to untie her hakama, and it had annoyed him, but he could live with it. After all, he had persisted, and she had given him what he'd wanted. It hadn't been gentle, but it had been slow.

When he saw her on his bed, sleeping on her stomach with her head turned to the side, mouth open slightly, covered in his blankets, and this time fully unclothed and clinging to him, he knew she didn't belong anywhere else. No matter how stupid she acted, how stupid she really was, or who she was under her façade, she was his.

He liked her eyes.

They left her open; gave him the advantage.

But that night, they had done more than that. That night, they'd shown him something; they'd shown him that she had entrusted him with something more precious than her innocence, something much more precious.

Anyone could say that she was an idiot for giving her heart to him, and they'd be right, even Nnoitra would attest to that.

But that night, in that brief semblance of gentleness in which he held her while she had clung to him, he had cemented between them both that, no matter what, he would protect that. He wouldn't act like it, but he would.

He liked her eyes.

They left her open; showed him that he had something in her that he'd never had before and wouldn't have in this life with any other living being. And, for that, he had given the air of gentleness.

But next time, she wouldn't be so lucky.

Because Nnoitra Jiruga liked being dominant.


	45. Deterioration

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Amalia) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

(Deterioration)

"Orihime!!" Kazuko pounced, wrapping her arms around the orange-haired girl's neck and her legs around her waist, "Yay!! It's been forever!!"

"K-Kazuko?!" Orihime smiled, hugging her back, "Wow! Is that really you?!"

"Yep!!"

Halibel, Szayel and Ulquiorra stood back in silence as the two reunited, the scientist standing by with a packet of IV fluids and a syringe of sedatives.

"Why are those two here?" Orihime whispered, glancing at two of the several Espada she was the least familiar with.

"Eh." Kazuko shrugged, "Halibel is the one who's in charge of me and Szayel is overseeing my treatment."

"Treatment?" Orihime's eyes widened, "Treatment for what?! Are you alright?! Soten Kisshun, I reject!!"

"Eeeep!!" Kazuko turned and ran as Ayame and Shun'o chased her around, trying to form a healing barrier around her. "Possessed dragonflies!! Save me, Szay-Szay!!" She dove behind the scientist, grabbing his arms and using him as a shield.

Szayel twitched, "'Szay-Szay'?"

"Pretty nickname for a pretty Szayel." Kazuko snickered.

"Will you quit calling me pretty?!" Szayel sighed, exasperated, as she swung him back and forth, fending off the two fairies.

"I can't help it that your hair looks so silky and smooth." Kazuko blinked, "By the way, where do you get your shampoo?"

"…I make it."

"Orihime," Shun'o sighed, "This isn't going to work."

Ayame lowered her head, "She won't stay still."

"It's fine, girl." Szayel sighed, twitching and turning around, smacking Kazuko, "Stop it!" He then turned back to Orihime, "She's already on a treatment plan. There's no need for you to expend the energy."

"Oh." Orihime nodded, clasping her hands as her two fairies flashed and reconnected with her hairclips. She then looked at Kazuko, "H… have you heard?"

Rubbing her head, Kazuko walked forward, "Heard what?"

"…Ichigo and the others are here…"

"They're what?!" Kazuko tensed, turning and looking at Halibel.

The Espada hesitated, then nodded, "It's true that early this morning, several invaders broke into Las Noches."

Kazuko opened and closed her mouth several times, thought, then turned back to Orihime, "I never asked, but… why are you here?"

Orihime immediately looked away.

"Oh…" Kazuko sighed, "I see."

"I tried to make it so that they wouldn't come after me, but…" Orihime trailed off weakly.

Kazuko smiled, softly chastising, "C'mon, Orihime. You know that Ichigo isn't the kind of person who would just let friends go like that…"

"Oh, I'm not that important—"

"Don't even talk like that." She startled everyone in the room with her harsh tone, but Kazuko ignored the Espada and glared at Orihime, "Don't you dare even talk like that, Orihime. You are, and have always been, one of Ichigo's best friends. There isn't even a slight chance that he would think about leaving you here once you disappeared, whether your leaving was voluntary or involuntary."

"…Kuna was very upset about your disappearance, you know."

Kazuko winced, turning away.

"And so were Shinji and Hiyori… Rose…" Orihime lowered her gaze, "They were all upset… and angry."

"…I came freely."

"So did I."

"…" Kazuko looked up, smiling wryly, "What did they use against you?"

"…Their safety. You?"

"…An old friend… wanted to talk to me."

Orihime blinked. "You… know an Arrancar?"

"…" Kazuko lowered her eyes, "A few years ago… she was human."

Orihime winced.

They were silent for a moment, then Kazuko looked back up and brightened, "Hey, I didn't come here so we could make each other miserable! Let's do something fun!"

"Fun?" Orihime tilted her head, "Like what?"

"Let's do each other's hair!!"

"…Okay!" Orihime smiled widely, "But I really don't know what we'd use…"

"Oh, I got us covered." Kazuko smirked, holding out her arm and pulling up the sleeve. Her arm from her wrist to her elbow was covered with hair bands and strings lined with beads.

"…Are those mine?" Halibel asked, twitching.

Kazuko smiled at the Espada and batted her eyes innocently, "I though you wouldn't mind, girl to girl."

Halibel twitched again, but said nothing.

"Now, then." Kazuko turned to Orihime, cackling while holding out her hands and wriggling her fingers, "So much orange hair, so little time before Szay-Szay pounces and pumps me full of his gamma-Hydroxybutyric date rape drugs."

"I do _not_ use it for date rape!!"

Kazuko looked back at him, smirking, "But is GHB _not_ used for date rape, Szay-Szay?"

"One, not in Las Noches. Two, do not call me 'Szay-Szay'. And three, I'm interested in knowing how you know that…"

"That's for me to know and for you to lose hours of sleep over trying to find out. Now," Kazuko turned back to Orihime, who was now staring at her with wide eyes, "Where were we? Oh, yeaaaaah…" She pounced.

"Eep!"

The Espada watched, mystified and horrified, as Kazuko pinned Orihime and proceeded to 'do' her hair. Even Ulquiorra had to quirk a brow when they separated only five minutes later, Kazuko grinning widely and Orihime now sporting her hair pulled up and pressed to the back of her head in various braids, curls and twists, looking fit to attend a prom.

"…How did you do that with nothing but bands and beads?" Halibel asked.

"…Black magic." Kazuko answered shortly, turning her back to Orihime and sitting on the floor. "Your turn, Hime." She held out her arm. "C'mon, it'll make you feel better. Promise."

Orihime sighed and smiled, sitting behind Kazuko and starting a simple braid.

"…Hey, Hime?"

"Yes?"

"Your powers… they come from the clips, right?"

Orihime paused, "Yes. They're called the Shun Shun Rikka."

"…Six Flowers of the Hibiscus Shield?" Kazuko blinked, "You know… your powers feel a lot like a vizard's energy… shinigami based with a slight intone of Hollow."

"I was told that once." Her tone was light. "By Mr. Hachi."

"Yeah." Kazuko smiled, "He would have noticed something like that… Hime?"

Orihime paused again, her tone worried when she noticed the quiver in Kazuko's voice, "Kazu?"

Kazuko lowered her head, hugging her stomach, "If I… don't see them again… will you tell them I'm sorry?"

The Espada tensed.

"Kaz, don't talk like that!" Orihime crawled up beside her, hands hovering over the smaller girl's shoulders, "Of course you'll be fine! You can tell them yourse—"

"Orihime!!" Kazuko shouted, turning and grabbing her shoulders, glaring, "Tell them I'm sorry! Tell everyone I'm sorry! And I'm…" She started to tear up, "I need to tell you, too… I'm sorry…" She pulled back, flinching when Halibel appeared by her side and grabbed her and Szayel crouched down by her, slipping a needle under her skin, "I'm so sorry…"

Orihime slipped passed the two Espada and hugged Kazuko as she started to fall into a drug induced slumber, muttering, "I promise to tell them if you can't, but you have to plan to tell them too, alright? You have to plan to tell them so that I don't have to. You can't plan to… leave them before you do."

"I'll try." Kazuko whispered as her eyes slid shut, her brain fogging and her vision fading, "I'll… tr…" She was out.

Carefully, Orihime handed her over to Halibel, rubbing her eyes as the Espada stood and started to carry her away.

"M-Miss Halibel?"

Halibel stopped, turning her head slightly in the human's direction.

"She'll…" Orihime stood, clasping her hands over her chest, "She'll be okay, right?"

"…I was assigned," Halibel began after a moment, "To watch over her and keep her from harm. I will continue to do that job so long as Lord Aizen sees fit, and I will do it to the best of my abilities. No less."

Orihime blinked, then smiled, "Thank you."

Without responding, Halibel turned away and walked out of the room, Szayel following close behind.

"Szayel," Halibel began as they walked, "With the intruders in Las Noches, I've decided that it's now too hazardous to let Kazuko out of my immediate reach. For the time being, she will have to have her treatment discontinued."

"I understand." Szayel nodded, "I'll just come to set up her IV line before I make my way back to my domain."

"Thank you."

* * *

Kazuko woke suddenly, back arching and blankets bunching as her hands fisted. "Haya!" She gasped, her eyes wide, "Hayajihime!"

"She's here!" Sun-Sun held out the sword, nervous. She jumped when Kazuko's hand shot out and latched onto the sheath, knuckles turning deathly white.

Kazuko clamped her eyes shut, breathing raggedly for a moment. Then, all tension fled her body and she collapsed, sighing heavily and falling into an exhausted sleep.

Sun-Sun jumped again as her door slammed open, Halibel and Mila-Rose rushing in, "Lady Halibel, she's not doing well… Even with contact with her zanpakuto, her energy is… waning. And she continues to wake every three hours, panicking and letting out massive bursts of reiatsu. Her body can't handle this much longer…"

"Szayel can't treat her without knowing the origins," Halibel sighed, crossing her arms, "And none of the scans he performed showed anything physically wrong with her."

"That is because the problem is psychological in origin."

The Fraccion fell to their knees and Halibel bowed low as Aizen walked into the room, accompanied by Gin and Tosen.

"Lord Aizen," Halibel straightened, "You know what is wrong with her?"

"A theory, nothing more." Aizen said, walking over to the foot of Kazuko's cot, "In her reconnection with Alexissara, the part of Kazuko's psyche that does not originally belong to her is starting to reject the rest of her mind. It wishes to return to its original form, and is destroying the soil in with it has taken root. In other words, it is destroying Kazuko's soul."

Halibel tensed, "Then we get Kazuko and Alexissara together so that the part in question can return."

"It's far too late for that." Aizen calmly replied, "Kazuko's mind has grown around the piece, and the piece has let its roots grow deep. Any attempt to remove it would result a rapid increase of the deterioration that is already taking place." He turned to Halibel, smiling, "We may as well let her live a bit longer, if only to serve us in the coming battle. For now, do not separate her or her zanpakuto, and do not let her near Alexissara. I will tell Grimmjow to inform his Fraccion that her rights over Kazuko have been suspended." That said, he walked to the door and left, Tosen close behind.

Gin lingered for a moment, frowning down at Kazuko, "Sorry, Little Kazu…" He then followed the other ex-captains.

Halibel stared after them, then turned to Mila-Rose, "Go to Szayel immediately and ask for any and all nutritional supplements he can offer, as well as some of his more powerful pain relievers and stimulants." As Mila-Rose ran off, Halibel then turned to Sun-Sun, "Keep her body warm, her forehead cool, and make sure she stays hydrated. Do not let her zanpakuto fall from her hands; keep it as close to her as physically possible."

"Yes, Ma'am." Sun-Sun nodded, standing and rushing into her bathroom.

Halibel watched her go, then turned and stared down at Kazuko, "…You will _not_ die on my watch." Turning sharply on her heel, the female Espada stormed out of the room to look for Apache, whom she planned on sending to Grimmjow's domain to deliver a message.

"You will know what you are doing to her."

* * *

"I-I see…" Alexis stuttered, staring at Apache in shock, "Thank you… for telling me."

Apache scoffed, rolling her eyes, "I didn't tell you because I wanted to; Lady Halibel ordered me. I have to go back; Kazuko has to be kept under constant surveillance." She then left.

"…Whaddya plan on doing about this?" Grimmjow asked, strapping his zanpakuto to his side as he prepared to go face Ichigo, "Aizen ordered you not to go near her, ya know."

"…I do know." Alexis clenched her hands, her jaw straining, "And because of that there is nothing I can do." As he turned to leave, she looked over her shoulder at him, "Do I need to go with you?"

"Nah." Grimmjow waved her off, "I'm good. You'd just get in my way…" He glanced back at her, "Watch over my domain, eh?"

Alexis nodded, "Yes, sir." She turned to walk to her room.

"And Alexis?" When she paused, he turned back towards her, "Keep an eye out for her. She may have been under your influence up until now, but when her mind's in this condition…"

"I'll be fine, Grimmjow." Alexis said, not looking back, "As if she could fight on par with me…"

"You never know…" Grimmjow made his way to the door again.

"…Goodbye, Grimmy."

"…Later, Lex."

The door shut behind him with heavy finality.


	46. Clean Up

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Amalia) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

(Clean Up)

"Aaroniero Arruruerie; deceased."

Kazuko opened her eyes, listening as Halibel addressed her Fraccion.

"Szayel Aporro Grantz; deceased. Grimmjow Jaegergaques; status unknown, presumed deceased. Nnoitra Jiruga; engaged in battle with the one known as 'Ichigo Kurosaki'. Zommari Leroux; dispatched to eliminate the shinigami that barely survived the battle with the former Noveno. Yammy; unknown."

"Che." Apache sniffed, "So much trouble over a few humans and shinigami…"

"They are not to be underestimated." Halibel said shortly, "Soon, Lord Aizen will send for us. At that time we will gather at the designated departure point and leave for the final battle with the Seireitei."

"What about her?" Mila-Rose asked.

There was a pause.

"Kazuko." When she sat up and looked at the Espada, Halibel went on, "Lord Aizen has ordered that you are to… accompany us for the final confrontation. Can you stand?"

Nodding, Kazuko swung her legs over the edge of her cot, pushing her blanket aside and standing. Her teeth chattered as she stood, her arms contorting and pressing against her chest painfully as she performed an involuntary, full body shudder. She kept the hand that held Hayajihime still, though, and stood straight, clenching her jaw and forcing her arms to lower and still themselves straight down at her sides.

After managing to keep this strong façade for six seconds, Kazuko folded in on herself and collapsed, breaking down into sobs.

"Why?! Why does all of this fighting have to happen?! Why did they have to die?! I can't feel Sado… Rukia… Szay-Szay… N-Nnoi… tra…" She grabbed her head, wailing, "They're all gone!! All of them!"

"Stop that!" Halibel barked, kneeling before Kazuko and grabbing her shoulders, shaking her, "Don't you see that you're killing yourself by doing this?!"

Kazuko whimpered and lowered her head, "What's there left to live for if all there is is death?"

The sharp slap that can only be made by skin striking skin cut through the room, leaving everything in a tense silence.

"The world does not end because of a few deaths." Halibel said, her voice deathly calm. "There is still a battle to be fought and those who depend on you being there; if not Lord Aizen and Alexis, then your human and shinigami friends who will have surely felt you here and are searching for you. You are disgracing yourself and all of them by giving up before they've even come close, and you are disgracing the work that myself and my Fraccion have put into keeping you alive and well. Try to muster some honor.

"Now," Halibel stood, her head high, "Stand."

One hand rubbing the side of her face, Kazuko tightened her grip on her zanpakuto and stood, staring up at Halibel.

"Strap your partner to your side."

Again, Kazuko complied, using her sash to tie Hayajihime with shaking hands.

"Now, dry your eyes and stiffen your jaw. Don't shake."

Rubbing her eyes with her sleeves and taking several deep breaths, Kazuko stepped back and nodded, "I'm better now, Lady Halibel. Thank you."

"That's good, because you're going to need to be strong." Halibel nodded, pausing before saying, "Lord Aizen has assigned you to Alexis for the upcoming battle. She will be here shortly to take you on several errands before the confrontation." She paused again, "Try… not to stay too close to her. Distance yourself as much as possible."

Kazuko blinked, tilting her head, "Wh—" She was interrupted by a loud knock on the main door. "I got it!" Kazuko turned and ran out, leaving Halibel to face her shocked Fraccion.

"Lady Halibel, didn't Lord Aizen say just to keep them away from each other?!"

"He's changed his mind." Halibel said tensely, "He's decided with the battle as close as it is, her deterioration no longer matters. Once the battle is over, she will have… expended her usefulness. If she lives, she lives; and if she doesn't…" She trailed off, sighing.

The Fraccion tensed, turning when they heard the voices of Kazuko and one other person. They then followed Halibel into the foyer.

Alexis was hovering over Kazuko, frowning, and Kazuko was leaning against the wall heavily, panting and pale.

The Fraccion looked up as the Espada and her Fraccion walked in, "You said she was bad, but I didn't think…"

"I'm fine!" Kazuko insisted, standing and smiling, "Just fine! I'll be better in no time! Szay-Szay… he just had me pumped so full of meds and resting so much, I haven't hand much time to exercise. My body hasn't adjusted!" None of the Arrancar failed to notice the quiver in her voice or her shaking legs.

"You're not taking place in this battle." Alexis muttered, turning to the front door, "Go back to bed. I'm going to make an appeal to Lor—"

"No!" Kazuko lunged forward, latching onto her friend's arm, inhaling sharply at the sudden mixture of weakness, pain and desperation that shot through her. "You're not leaving me…" She hissed, grinding her teeth and forcing herself to stay on her feet as Alexis turned to her, gapping, "So many… are already gone… Not you. I'm not letting you go without me."

Alexis took a deep breath, her eyes loosing almost all of their icy bitterness as she looked Kazuko up and down, "You wouldn't listen, even if I said 'no', would you?"

"You can't threaten me with death anymore." Kazuko stood straight, holding her head high, "Either take me now, or risk me escaping later and hunting you down."

After staring at her a moment longer, Alexis sighed and smiled, shaking her head, "Go figure you would wait until the last minute to grow a spine."

Kazuko smiled back, "Is it a _strooooong_ spine?"

"…" Alexis quirked a brow, reaching out and poking Kazuko's forehead. When the vizard fell back onto her butt, the Arrancar smirked, "Guess not."

"Mrow." Kazuko rubbed her forehead, pouting. She then stood, brushing herself off and fixing her sleeves, "Are we going, now?"

Alexis nodded, "We are."

"Alright. Gimme a minute, though." Kazuko turned back to Halibel, Apache, Mila-Rose, and Sun-Sun, grinning widely.

Apache twitched, "What're you planning?"

She didn't have to wait long to find out, because right after she finished asking Kazuko lunged forward, pulling the three Fraccion into as large a hug as she could manage.

"Aaaaaaaaah!!" Apache flailed, "It buuuuuuuurns!!"

"I know." Kazuko smiled serenely, "It's the love." She was punched over the back of the head. Giggling and rubbing her head, Kazuko pulled away from the three Fraccion, turning her sights onto their Espada.

Halibel twitched, "Don't. You. Dare."

But Kazuko didn't listen; instead she ran and jumped, wrapped her arms around the Espada's neck and her legs around her waist, planting a huge kiss on Halibel's cheek. "Bye-bye, Bel-Bel! See ya later!"

Halibel was frozen in shock.

Cackling insanely, Kazuko jumped down and ran to the door, waving at Alexis, "C'mon! Before she regains mobility and kills me!!"

Rolling her eyes, Alexis grinned and followed.

"…And she's supposed to be _depressed_?" Mila-Rose quirked a brow.

Halibel twitched.

* * *

"We have cleanup duty, first." Alexis sighed, "Though it really isn't much 'cleanup' at all; we just have to go check on the progress of the Exequias."

Kazuko blinked, "'Funeral rights'?"

Alexis nodded, "They're a sort of clean up crew that eliminates and disposes of intruders and traitors. They're lead by their captain, Rudobon."

"So… they're like the Seireitei's Special Forces?"

"I wouldn't know." Alexis stopped at a split, looking down the different halls before choosing one on the right side and heading down it. "It's important, though, that you don't meet their eyes or speak to them; their line of work makes them very… edgy."

Edgy was an understatement.

They didn't look like they would be much on their own, but the Exequias traveled in a large group, all uniform in their movements, as if they were one entity. Their eyes all focused on the same subject at the same time, so you literally had dozens of eyes staring at you, focused on only you, with their movements guarded so you couldn't tell what they were thinking. And they were just underlings.

Rudobon was… entirely different.

In a sea of uniformity, he was the alpha. The omega. The dominant mind that directed all others around him. The gravity of his presence was suffocating, intimidating, and with his one-minded drones following his every command without question, it was no wonder that even Alexis seemed tense in their presence.

"Alexissara." Rudobon nodded shortly as she and Kazuko approached, his drones stopping behind him as he stopped. "What can I help you with, Fraccion of Sexta Grimmjow?"

"I was ordered, by Lord Aizen, to receive a quick progress report, if you don't mind." Alexis nodded, arms crossed and body ramrod straight.

"The 103rd and 105th Privaron Espada, Dordonii Alessandro Del Socacchio and Cirucci Thunderwitch, have both been apprehended under the orders of Szayel Aporro Grantz. We are now on our way to retrieve the 107th Privaron Espada, Gantenbainne Mosqueda."

"I see." Alexis nodded, "And to where are they being taken? The crematoria, I presume?"

"To the Octava's laboratories, actually."

Alexis tensed, "Szayel is dead. He was killed by the invaders; when you apprehend Mosqueda, don't take him to the labs. Kill him where he lays."

"You have no authority over us, Fraccion." Rudobon said coolly, his hand casually rising to settle on the hilt of his sword.

"It was merely a suggestion." Alexis shrugged, "If you wish to take him to the former Octava's and face the same fate he did, feel free."

Rudobon and his men tensed.

"Now, then," Alexis turned away, "If you don't mind, I have other duties to attend to, as you do. Thank you for that report; Lord Aizen will be pleased to hear it." She then stormed off, leaving Kazuko to run after her.

"Where to, now?" Kazuko asked, wincing when she got a bit too close to her friend and she felt her energy drain.

"We're going to where Grimmjow was." Alexis answered shortly, her pace hurried, "I want to know what happened to him."

"…Then shouldn't you grab your zanpakuto?" Up until this point, Kazuko had never seen Alexis with one, or even heard of her possessing one. Her mention it was not only out of worry for her friend's safety, but also out of curiosity.

"I already have it." Alexis answered, startling Kazuko, "I'm always carrying it."

"Eh? Where?"

"That's for me to know and you to pray you don't ever have to find out."

Kazuko winced, drawing back further. In her mind, Hayajihime had long fallen silent, her inner Alexis feral and volatile, barely able to speak in halfway coherent sentences.

'Haya,' Kazuko whimpered, 'Please say something.'

As it had been for a while, she received no answer; not even a stir.

'…Alexis?' She was desperate; at least her Hollow had to answer… 'Can you hear me?'

"'**ll fuckin' kill you!!"** The Hollow lashed out, bands of searing heat whipping across Kazuko's mind.

It then growled, crouching as Kazuko screamed and fell to her knees. She could almost feel it, in the real world, stalking around, waiting for her to leave her throat open so it could pounce and rip out her jugular.

"Ama?!" Alexis's voice called out from her side, hands seizing her shoulders, "Amalia, what's wrong?!"

Ripping herself out of her Hollow's grasp, Kazuko fell forward onto the cold, unforgiving ground, gasping for air and clutching at her throat.

"Ama?! Ama!!"

"I—!!..." She coughed, sitting up, "'m fine…"

"**Sorry, Kaz…"** Her Hollow muttered, **"I j'st…"**

'Forget it…' Kazuko thought, 'Where's Haya?'

"…**don't know…"** Alexis-Hollow half muttered, half growled. She wasn't meaning to be feral; she was just so far along in dissociation that instincts were taking over.

And Kazuko was feeling the effects of that; beyond the energy draining, beyond the constant headaches, beyond the flashes of pain that came whenever Alexis lost control, she could feel her own will fading; her own urge to live trickling out of her body, slipping through her fingers so easily it could have been oil.

Still, she pushed herself to her feet and smiled disarmingly at Alexis, "Let's go! We have to find Grimmjow, right?" Giggling, she ran down the hall, Alexis quickly catching up to her and running half a step ahead.

"…**She knows, y'know."** Alexis-Hollow muttered, **"Th't somethin' is wrong."**

'That's alright.' Kazuko smiled at Alexis when she glanced back worriedly. 'As long as I keep acting happy, she'll worry a little less…'

In reality, though, it only made Alexis worry more.


	47. AU Open Eyes: Part III

Nya!! Here it is! The final installment of 'Open Eyes: The Kazuko/Nnoitra AU'!!

**WARNING: ...NO REAL WARNING FOR THIS ONE. THERE IS NO SMUT, JUST SORROW AND DEATH.**

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Amalia) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

(Open Eyes: Part III)

"This is what happens." Alexis muttered behind her friend as they stood on the sands of Hueco Mundo, facing the torn body before them. "This is what happens when someone gets careless. When someone gets cocky. Don't end up like him, Amalia."

But Kazuko wasn't listening.

She was staring at the broken body before her, shaking at the blood that had seeped into the sand and turned the ground black.

"…Ama?"

Kazuko stumbled forward, barely noticing as her feet sunk into the wet sand and coldness seeped through her hakama, staining her legs with red.

'The blood being so cold means he's been like this a while…' She thought blearily, sinking to her knees by the body's side.

"Amalia, what are you—"

"Don't." Someone Kazuko didn't care to recognize cut Alexis off, "Just… leave her be. There's a lot to prepare for."

Kazuko didn't notice them walk away, but she knew that she and the body before here were now alone.

Shaking, she reached out and laid her hands on his back, choking when she felt how cold he was.

"Nnoitra?"

Part of her knew he wouldn't answer, but when she received no response the part of her that was still blindly hoping broke. Inhaling sharply, Kazuko fell forward onto his back, back heaving as she held back her sobs.

'He'd be angry at me if I cried…' Blood seeped through her clothes, chilling her skin. 'No… he'd be furious if I cried… over this…'

* * *

"_The fuck do you mean, 'if I die'?!"_

_Kazuko shuddered, pulling a blanket over her shoulders and diverting her eyes from Nnoitra's glare. "You guys… can't honestly expect to win against the Seireitei…" She winced when he shifted stiffly. "So… if you fight… you'll die… Please… don't… because what'll I do if—"_

_He smashed her against the wall, hand against her throat and eyes narrowed down at her._

_The sheet fell uselessly to the ground._

"_Don't fuckin' talk about the battlefield and what'll happen on it as if you know. People like you… don't belong there, and have no right to talk about it."_

_Her chest heaved, tears running down her face as she lowered her head._

_Nnoitra stared at her blankly as her tears dripped onto his wrist._

"_I ain't dyin', alright?" When her sobbing got worse, he ground his teeth and tightened his grip on her throat, "Alright?! I ain't fuckin' dyin', especially not by the hand of a bastard shinigami."_

_She shook as he lowered her to the ground, his hand loosening around her neck._

"_I promise."_

_Kazuko stopped trembling immediately, looking up at him with watery eyes, "What?"_

_Nnoitra rolled his eyes and looked away, "I said 'I promise', alright? I promise not to die by the hand of one of those fuckin' shinigami. Now will you _stop cryin'_? It's disgusting."_

"…" _A smile slowly grew on Kazuko's face until it was physically impossible for her to smile wider, then she flung herself forward and wrapped her arms around Nnoitra's waist, the highest point of him she could reach while jumping._

"_Cut that out!" Nnoitra growled, smacking her across the back of the head, "Seriously!" When she didn't move, though, he sighed, glanced around the room, then patted her head wordlessly._

_Kazuko smiled and nuzzled Nnoitra's stomach. "Promise?"_

_He smiled, ruffling her hair. "Yeah… I promise."_

* * *

That had been then… and yet here she was, now, closing his lifeless eye and choking back tears.

"He'd be mad, he'd be mad…" She muttered over and over, biting her tongue so she didn't stutter, "He'd be so mad…"

Suddenly, she stopped crying, hand frozen over his eyes.

It hit her.

She was referring to him in the past tense.

Kazuko started shaking violently, one hand covering her mouth as a whining sob escaped the back of her throat.

He was gone.

Nnoitra was dead.

He wouldn't be coming back.

He was nothing more than a 'past tense', now. An 'already happened'. He was…

_Kazuko,_ Hayajihime muttered, _Just get up and walk away, now._ Up until this point, the zanpakuto had been understanding and silent, going so far as to hold the livid Alexis back. But now she had to step in and pick up the shattered pieces of her master. _You just have to get up and walk away, sweetheart. C'mon, to your feet. And don't look back._

But Kazuko wasn't listening. She had thrown herself across Nnoitra's back and was clinging to him, biting her lip until it bled. Her blood mixed with his.

"Nn-Nnoitra," She sobbed, "Oh, God, Nnoitra…"

Shocks of pain stabbed through her back as she sobbed, trying to hold back the flood.

"You promised… You promised you wouldn't let them k… ki—" She couldn't keep it in. Kazuko broke down, fingers gripping Nnoitra's bloodstained uniform.

Closing her eyes, she turned her head away and buried her face in her arm, not letting a single tear touch his back.

* * *

_Nnoitra rolled his eyes, sighing heavily as Kazuko broke down on the edge of his bed. He lay back down, crossing his arms behind his head and waiting for her to stop sobbing. It wasn't the first time she'd cried around him, and he was sure it wouldn't be the last._

_It was hardly his fault that she'd pissed him off._

_Still, every time she cried, it… unnerved him. Kazuko wasn't the kind of person who cried or got angry. She was the kind of person who was always supposed to be happy._

_And every time she cried because of him, he felt like shit._

_He had told her to turn away this time, and was trying to ignore her. But it wasn't working too well._

"_Can you quiet down?!" Nnoitra moaned, glancing at her heaving back._

_When she actually tried to, he __really__ felt like shit._

_Growling, Nnoitra rolled over to her and grabbed her waist, jerking her back and forcing her to lie still in his arms. "Stop it. Now."_

"_I-I can-n't." Kazuko heaved, covering her face, "H-how can you be s-s-s-so nonchalant about dy-dying?!" He groaned inwardly at how her voice sounded: she hiccuped and gasped like a small child._

"_There's nothin' nonchalant for a warrior about wantin' to die in battle." Nnoitra glared at the back of her head, "I _live_ so that I can get stronger and die in battle. That's the fuckin' reality of it, Kaz."_

_She said nothing, shaking in his arms. At least she had managed to stop her heaving, silent sobs._

_When her tears trailed onto his arm, though, Nnoitra's shittiness reached an all-time high, and he flipped… literally and metaphorically. He flipped on top of her and straddled her, glaring._

"_Don't fuckin' cry on me," He growled down at, her, pulling her hands off of her face, "And when I do die on the battlefield, don't you fuckin' shed a single tear on my corpse. If I die in battle, then it'll have been worth it. Don't you _dare_ fuckin' cry on me._

"_I hate this whole fucking world and everything in it. If I die in battle, that will be the highlight of my life. So long as I die on my own two feet, fighting to the fucking end, it will have been worth it. So don't you dare cry on me." _

_She nodded into his chest, wrapping shaking arms around his neck and sighing. _

"_I won't cry on you… so long as you don't give me a reason, Nnoitra."_

"_I won't," He replied, kissing her. "Promise."_

* * *

Kazuko had no clue what happened; in such a short amount of time so much had changed between her and Nnoitra. But it was only that. Nnoitra had only changed in how he felt about _her_. He had always felt the same about everything else, including battle.

He'd felt the same about it, apparently, up until the very end.

He had a small smile on his face. A kind of smile he had never given her. A smile he had probably reserved for his death.

_Kazuko, get up and walk away, now._

"**Shut the hell up, Zanpakuto. Give her her moment."**

This startled both Kazuko and Hayajihime, but Kazuko felt relief when her mind cleared and she was left alone.

No longer heaving, she pulled Nnoitra's hair back, sweeping the ends free of blood and sand.

"What was I thinking, anyway?" Kazuko muttered, rubbing her eyes, "You were an enemy. We were each others enemies… What were _we_ thinking? …No." She shook her head, laughing, "Never mind what you were thinking… you knew. You knew right off. I was just a… a fling, right? I wasn't anyone important. I was… the only one who put any emotional investment in this, right? You… wouldn't have bothered."

A nearby flare of reiatsu made her wince, and when several more flares followed she looked up and around. She knew those energies; Kenpachi Zaraki, Mayuri Kurotsuchi, Byakuya Kuchiki, Retsu Unohana… she was familiar enough with them.

"Even Ichigo, Renji, Rukia…" She shuddered, "They're all here… and I'm a traitor."

"Let's go, Amalia." Alexis reappeared behind her, grabbing her shoulder, "Lord Aizen is calling for us. It's time for the battle."

Kazuko nodded, rubbing her eyes again, "One more minute?"

"Twenty seconds. Then I'm dragging you." Alexis left again.

Biting her lip, Kazuko gathered herself up and sat back, looking down at the corpse.

"I know… that you're not here anymore, but there's something I have to say to you before I go… even if you don't hear it.

"I never thought I could hate anyone until that first time that night, when you drugged me… Actually, I don't think I had ever really hated anyone before up until that moment. And in that moment, I did, indeed, hate you. I think that you're the one… who taught me to hate.

"But it's… weird… because even though I hated you, I felt something else, too. When I saw you pressed against the wall, desperate like I had been and scared for your life, I think I, for some reason, loved you in that moment, too.

"… I… I don't understand it, Nnoitra. I don't understand it at all. But you're the person who taught me to hate… and then right after taught me to love someone in the way I did… I do… I will always love you.

"I—"

"Now, Amalia." Alexis reappeared, grabbing her shoulder.

Kazuko nodded, leaning forward and kissing Nnoitra's temple, not caring that Alexis was not watching. "Goodbye…" As she stood, she shed one last tear, which dropped from her cheek onto Nnoitra's. "Sorry about that…"

"Let's go." Alexis turned, dragging Kazuko away.

Kazuko walked backwards, smiling at his corpse and muttering, "Thank you."

* * *

A strong breeze swept across the sand, ruffling straight black hair. Loose white clothes rustled against a cold body, only stiff flesh and anything soaked in cold and drying crimson remaining undisturbed by the wind.

Against a pale cheek, a drop of salty water shuddered in the breeze, slipping and sliding downward, leaving a cold streak behind that dried instantly under the sun.

"…_I thought I told her…_

_Not to cry on me."_


	48. For Those You Love

*sighs* The end draws near, everyone...

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Amalia) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

(For Those You Love)

"Ah, Alexissara. Miss Kazuko." Aizen smiled serenely as they walked in, looking up from the talk he had just been having with Orihime. "So good of you to join us."

"Orihime!" Kazuko gasped, running forward and pulling her back as Aizen began to walk up the stairs behind him.

"No need to worry, Miss Kazuko; we're done with her. We have another project to work on."

"Project, sir?" Kazuko asked, wrapping her arms around Orihime protectively.

"Creating the Royal Key."

Kazuko frowned, "Key?"

"Kazuko!" Orihime tuned to her, eyes wide, "He's going to destroy Karakura Town!"

"…Karakura?!" Kazuko gapped.

"That's right." Aizen nodded, smiling as he walked up the stairs, "We shall destroy Karakura Town and create the Royal Key." He turned to the rip in the black space before him.

Kazuko shuddered when she saw that the rip, a garganta, led to her old home. "What's the Roya—"

"As much as I would love to give you a history lesson, Miss Kazuko." Aizen cut her off, "We have business to take care of. Kaname. The tenteikura."

"Yes, sir."

Kazuko stumbled back as Tosen preformed a kido, taking Orihime by the arm and pulling her back a few steps.

"Bakudo seventy-seven." Tosen said, holding his arm out and supporting a seal of ink in midair. "Tenteikura."

The last word made Kazuko twitch, because as he said it, it echoed again in her head. "A transmission?"

"Can you hear me, my dear invaders?" Aizen asked no one present, the words reverberating in Kazuko's head. "For your continued success against my Espada, allow me to express my deepest respect. As of now, we are commencing our invasion of the human world."

Orihime shuddered, leaning against Kazuko when the smaller girl embraced her.

"I am leaving Orihime Inoue in the fifth tower." Aizen went on, "If you wish to retrieve her, you may come and make your attempt. I no longer have… any use for her."

Kazuko ground her teeth.

"Her ability is a truly wonderful one: 'Phenomenon Rejection'. An ability far exceeding the capacities permitted to humans." Aizen chuckled, "The upper echelons of the Seireitei understood the significance of her ability, and that is why I kidnapped her; in order to unsettle the Seireitei and lead them to turn their attention to reinforcing their own defenses rather than those of the human world.

"After proving that my Arrancar's preparations for battle were complete, Hitsugaya's advanced forces were all recalled to the Seireitei to help fortify their own defenses.

"Furthermore, she had another use: The Seireitei had recently gained a new military asset… the 'ryoka', including one 'acting shinigami'. She was the perfect bait to lure these forces to Hueco Mundo.

"Furthermore, four of the Seireitei's captains were sent to Hueco Mundo as reinforcements, and as such I have succeeded…" Aizen paused dramatically, "In imprisoning _them_, as well."

Kazuko shuddered as a pulse of reiatsu was sent out.

Aizen chuckled, "The true strength of the Gotei 13 lies in its thirteen captains. They are the primary fighting force and its greatest asset. However, right now, three of those captains have defected… and four are imprisoned. The Seireitei's military force… has been essentially cut in half." He turned serious, "Easy pickings.

"We shall now proceed to erase Karakura Town, generate the Royal Key, and, finally, defeat the Seireitei." He paused, smirking, "As for you… once this is all over, we will deal with you at our leisure. After all, Kazuko Kuruyaki has provided my Espada with much real-time experience with vizard. Watching them handle one as interesting as you… should prove an entertaining sport."

Kazuko lowered her head, swallowing hard as she felt Tosen let the tenteikura die.

"Miss Kazuko." She looked up, slouching slightly when she saw Aizen looking down at her, smiling, "Please return to Alexissara's side. You, too, will play your part in this battle."

"Sir, I…" She paled, "I can't! My family… my friends… innocent people are down there!! I can't help you kill them!!" She stumbled back, staring at him with wide eyes, "If anything, I should… I have to sto—"

"Amalia."

Kazuko stiffened at the icy, biting voice of Alexis.

"Shut the fuck up and get over here." Snarling, Alexis walked forward and grabbed Kazuko's arm, pulling her up the stairs and waiting behind Gin and Tosen. "You're fighting. That's an order."

Aizen smiled, "Very good, Alexissara." He looked back down into the room, nodding and letting his smile widen slightly, "Be prepared, my dear Espada."

Twitching, Kazuko turned and looked back down into the room. Halibel, Stark, and an elderly man, Barragan, were present, each of them with their Fraccion.

Stark and Lilinette were looking up at her, the former sighing and shaking his head while the latter smiled sheepishly at her, waving. Kazuko tried to smile back, but all she managed was a grimace. Lilinette winced, looking away.

Apache was frowning up at her, Mila-Rose was staring blankly, and Sun-Sun looked away as soon as Kazuko looked at her. Halibel glanced, then turned away and closed her eyes.

"Let's go, Ama." Alexis muttered, grabbing her arm and pulling her forward.

Shaking and turning, Kazuko stared at the garganta with wide eyes as they started to walk through, "Alexis, I can't do this. My family is down in that town; I can't help fight the ones that are trying to protect it!"

"I already told you to shut the fuck up." The Arrancar snarled, glaring sideways and tightening her grip on Kazuko's arm to the point where it would bruise, "You're fighting and that's that. Question my orders and I'll kill you here."

Kazuko lowered her gaze, muttering, "Not like it'd matter if I fought, anyway. The captains and lieutenants are stronger than me; I'd be dead in minutes."

"Don't know if you haven't noticed, Ama, but the air in Hueco Mundo is heavy. The fact that you could walk in it so easily means you've gotten stronger; plus, I saw when you sparred with Lilinette, and I've felt the size of your reiatsu when you've flared it." Alexis stared at her, deadpan, "You're stronger than when you first came here, Ama. Fighter or not, you will manage to do some damage out there."

Kazuko stared at her, incredulous, then looked forward when they emerged from the garganta. They stood in midair above Karakura Town, and before them…

The scene she was faced with made her stomach pitch and fall.

Before her was none other than some of the captains and lieutenants of the Gotei; Jushiro Ukitake, Shunsui Kyoraku, Soifon and her lieutenant Marechiyo Omeda, Sajin Komamura and his lieutenant Tetsuzaemon Iba, Toshiro Hitsugaya and Rangiku Matsumoto, and, the alphas themselves, Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryusai and Chojiro Sasakibe.

"Kazuko?" Jushiro blinked as soon as he saw her.

"Kazu!" Rangiku called.

Kazuko opened her mouth, then closed it when Alexis set a hand on her shoulder heavily. She lowered her eyes.

"Huh," Yamamoto sighed, "Looks like we made it in time."

"'In time'?" Aizen asked, blinking, "Where on earth do you have the proof to say such a thing? I know what we have here is not Karakura Town, but it would not be a threat to me at all. Stark, Barragan, Halibel… come here."

Behind them, three more garganta cracked and yawned open, the top three Espada and their Fraccion stepping through them.

"Since Karakura Town is in the Seireitei," Aizen shrugged casually, "I'll just destroy all of you here and create the Royal Key. It's that simple. For now, I'll just leave Las Noches in your hands Ulquiorra."

Kazuko jumped when a voice called out from behind them, "Yes, sir." Then, all four of the garganta slid shut.

"Alexissara," Aizen addressed the Arrancar as the shinigami began to talk amongst themselves, "In a few moments, you and Kazuko are to head the initial assault."

"Yes, sir." Alexis nodded.

"First, though," Aizen grinned as Yamamoto drew his sword, "Get away from here. Fast."

Alexis inhaled sharply, grabbing Kazuko's arm and jerking her far to the side, sending her flying out of the way as a blazing funnel erupted from Yamamoto's sword, swirling straight for the three ex-captains and engulfing them.

"Hey, Kazu, are you alright?" Kazuko heard Lilinette shout at her.

Kazuko sat up, rubbing her pained shoulder and coughing. "F-fine. How about you?"

"Good."

Relieved, Kazuko looked back to where Aizen, Gin and Tosen had been. The area around them had become a floating inferno. "But they're still alive…" She muttered, frowning as she felt out their reiatsu, "Is that… some kind of prison?"

"Kazuko! Get over here!!" Alexis shouted, standing between the inferno and the shinigami.

As she ran over to Alexis, Kazuko listened as Barragan staked his claim of control over the battlefield.

"Leondra, Kuruyaki!" Barragan called out, "You two will fall under my command."

"I think not." Alexis snarled as Kazuko reached her side, "Lord Aizen gave us our orders before he was entrapped. We'll follow through with his before we even think about obeying yours."

"How dare you speak to King Barrgan in such a way, you filth!" One of Barragan's Fraccion bellowed at her while the others seethed.

"Fuck off, Carias!" Alexis sneered, "I never said I wouldn't follow his orders! I said I would after Kazuko and I followed through with Lord Aizen's!"

"Stand down, Findor." Barragan growled, "She is within her right."

Findor scowled, glaring at Alexis and spitting, "Within her right or not, none should talk to you in that way, Your Majesty, especially not the Fraccion of a fallen Espada."

Alexis's eyes widened and she aimed her hand at the offending Arrancar, "You bastar—"

"Alexis!" Kazuko threw herself forward, latching onto Alexis's arm and holding her, " Don't!" When the Arrancar looked down at her, Kazuko winced and looked away, "The orders…"

"…Right." Alexis lowered her hand, turning to face the shinigami, "Right. Draw your zanpakuto, Kazuko."

"B-but…!!" Kazuko turned to her former allies, looking at them with wide eyes.

Most of them were distracted by the Hollows that had been summoned by Barragan's Fraccion, but Rangiku and Jushiro were completely focused on her.

"Kazuko!" Rangiku shouted as she looked at her, "What are you doing?! Get out of here, now!!"

"I… I can't!" She choked out as more of her old comrades, Ikkaku, Yumichika, Kira, and Shuhei, arrived, killing the four Hollows that had attacked the pillars holding the false Karakura in place. She shuddered as they looked at her, "I would if I could, but I can't! I… my life… is tied here! I… I owe her…" Kazuko lowered her eyes as Alexis stood closer to her.

"Damn it, Kuruyaki, what was the first thing you learned when you became a shinigami?!" Ikkaku bellowed, "They aren't human anymore!! They aren't who they used to be!! You don't owe them anything, even if one of them is someone you used to know!"

_He's right, Kazuko._

"Haya?!" Kazuko looked down at her zanpakuto, eyes wide, "Are you alright?!"

_Focus… damn it…_ Hayajihime breathed weakly, _Kazuko, I'm part of you, so I've been here for your whole life. I remember the real Alexis. She wouldn't want this. I haven't said much about this until now because you needed this, but Kaz… this is going too far. Stop. Now._

"…Why is it your help always comes too late?"

_Because I was hoping you'd realize it on your own… Besides, like I said, you needed this._

"Amalia."

Kazuko looked up, blinking.

Alexis nodded to her, hand settling on the hip of her hakama. "Draw your zanpakuto. We have to strike."

* * *

_I suppose that… to some level, I had known it all along. All along, I knew the final ultimatum I would have to face._

…_Still… making the decision wasn't easy._

_I hadn't just stayed with Alexis because I owed her my life, my fealty._

_I hadn't just stayed because I was too weak to escape._

_Though those reasons had played into it largely, if there hadn't been one other factor, I would have tried to get away… even at the expense of my life._

_I had also stayed… because of my memory of the old Alexis._

_I had loved her… she was my best friend. And I had owed it to her to try to save her from what she had become… even if it meant suffering Las Noches._

_If I had to, I would suffer Las Noches a million times over in the same way, just to be with her. Just to have gotten back to this point._

…_A million times and more, I would face the same decision… the hardest of my life… for her._

_Because that's what you do for people you love._

* * *

Turning to her old comrades and leaders, Kazuko drew her zanpakuto.

"I would like to apologize to you for any and all undue grievances I have caused…"

The shinigami tensed.

Kazuko smiled, "If you could tell the others for me when you have the time after this war, I would appreciate it."

The shinigami paused, confused.

Alexis glanced at her, frowning, "Ama, the shinigami are all going to be killed, so wh—"

"Dance in the wind, Hayajihime!!"

Eyes wide, Alexis drew her trench knife zanpakuto from inside her hakama, holding it out and blocking the bands of blue-grey reiatsu that assailed her.

"Don't you know, Alexis?" Kazuko asked, smiling when the energy attacks had passed and Alexis was still standing, "The bad guys… never win."

Alexis sneered, "Traitorous bitch." She lunged.

Drawing a breath, Kazuko leapt, fan slashing.

Metal met metal and sparks flew.

* * *

Save and protect those you care for, even from themselves. Because that's what you do for people you love.


	49. Final Stage, Salvation

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Amalia) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

(Final Stage, Salvation)

"Damn it, Amalia, stop this!" Alexis roared, flipping over Kazuko and punching down, the tip of her blade swiping close to the back of her neck.

Kazuko dropped to her stomach and kicked up and back, striking Alexis in the pelvis.

Hissing, Alexis planted her palms on the air as if it were solid ground and spun her legs around, building up momentum and launching herself backwards.

Landing midair, Alexis skid backwards a few feet, raising her head when she stopped and drawing her lips back in a feral snarl.

Kazuko pushed herself to her feet and turned, fan arcing down and releasing a reiatsu attack, "Kamaitachi!!"

Alexis growled and leapt aside, diving forward and punching.

A scream tore from Kazuko's lips when she took the silver knuckles of Alexis's trench knife in her arm, bone creaking unpleasantly and cracking before she was thrown. As she skid, Hayajihime fell from her hand, plummeting down to the city below.

"No…" Kazuko watched her fall, preparing to dive.

Then, Rangiku was below her, catching the fan and throwing it back up, "C'mon, Kazu! You can do better than that!!"

Laughing sheepishly, Kazuko caught her zanpakuto and stood, "Sorry, Rangiku!" She then faced Alexis again, who had stopped and was staring at her.

"You… you're really betraying us, aren't you?"

"I was never _with_ them, Alexis." Kazuko lowered her eyes, "I was there for you… _because_ of you. And now…" She looked up, determined, "I'm going to fight you… for the old Alexis. The _real_ Alexis!"

Alexis twitched and roared, "My path is clear, then! I will kill you and save you the suffering Lord Aizen would have inflicted on you for your betrayal!!" She raised her trench knife, aiming the blade towards herself.

"NO!!" Kazuko screamed as Alexis stabbed herself in her chest.

"Suffocate!" Alexis screamed, blood pouring out of her mouth, "Tráquea!!"

Kazuko watched in horror and amazement as something white grew around from the back of Alexis's neck, covering her throat and quickly coating her body. The white then grew passed her body in long folds, taking a clothy texture.

"I don't think you've ever seen a Resurreccion release before, Ama. Allow me to explain what it means." Alexis said softly, tilting her head as blood bloomed on the chest of the billowing fabric where she had stabbed herself, trailing down in a long red streak. "It means you will die here. Your weak shikai is no match for me."

Tensing, Kazuko took a step back as Alexis lifted her arm, the end of the ten-yard-long sleeve jumping to life and shooting forward.

"Kamaitachi!!"

As soon as the band of blue-grey reiatsu hit the cloth, though, it shattered. The sleeve wrapped around Kazuko's body tightly, leaving only her head uncovered.

"Reiatsu attacks don't work against Tráquea." Alexis muttered, the release apparently making her a soft-spoken person, "Its weakness is melee, and you aren't a melee fighter, are you, Amalia?"

"Lemme go!" Kazuko struggled, panicking as the cloth slipped up over her chin, "Alexis!!"

Alexis sighed, murmuring, "I'd rather you die by my hand than anyone else's. Goodbye, Amalia." The cloth slipped over Kazuko's mouth.

Thrashing, Kazuko tried to scream as the cloth covered her head, mummifying her. She managed a few panicked breaths between the sheets, but the layers seemed to be getting thicker and heavier, and the lighting darker, making her think that Alexis was adding more layers.

When she couldn't drawn in any more air, her chest started to heave, mouth opening in an attempt to suck in more air. All she got, though, was a mouthful of cloth and a pained sternum.

The pain between her breasts spread across her ribs like fire, and her throat got hot and began to heave, trying to make her sick.

She tried to flare her reiatsu, but all she did was loose energy. Her struggling weakened.

Brain fogging, she stopped trying to breathe, period, and stilled, a ringing filling her ears and her the pain in her chest disappearing, replaced by an intense pressure that squeezed from her throat down to her groin.

"**Damn it, Kaz, fight!!"**

_Kazuko… call me._

'…Haya?'

_No. Call my full name. Summon me, and let us end this._

Kazuko forced some carbon dioxide into her lungs, hissing, "Ban… kai…"

There was an explosion of cold in her hand as Hayajihime exploded, the shockwave loosening the cloth into a large sphere. Kazuko fell to the bottom of the padded sphere and sucked in air as cracks formed between the wrapping, air leaking in.

Then, all around her, the cloth began to turn red, beginning in points located randomly around the sphere of white and growing until Kazuko was laying in a sphere of red.

Something dripped on her head as she lay there, panting, and she felt her back getting soaked.

"Blood…" She muttered, sitting up as she heard something outside screech. "Shiraku… Onmoraki…"

Around her, the cloth slipped away, leaving her sitting in midair and looking up.

Above her was the great black bird, Shiraku-Onmoraki, her head thrown back and a screech clawing its way out of her throat and opened beak.

The stench of rotting corpses oozed off of her, spreading through the air with each beat of her wings. Huge feathers, some almost as long as Kazuko, fell from her body, decomposing and turning to ash even as they fell. Once the cry had died in her throat, she threw her head forward, long neck swaying and long beak closing. Blood red eyes focused on Kazuko, waiting.

As Kazuko regained her footing, covering her hands with her mouth as she coughed, she noticed that her top had been replaced with the loose top half of the kimono that Hayajihime had worn; blue silk heavy and endlessly cool against her skin. Her once white hakama was now stained with blood.

"B-bankai?!" Alexis stuttered, stumbling back and staring, "You said you hadn't achieved it!"

"I hadn't." Kazuko rasped, "This is my first time practicing it in the real world."

"First time?" Alexis hissed, shocked.

"First time." Kazuko nodded, raising her hand and shouting, "First Battle!"

Shiraku-Onmoraki Hayajihime screeched again, bowing her head and spreading her wings. From all around the fake Karakura, any and all blood that had been spilt began to fly towards Kazuko and Shiraku-Onmoraki, forming shards that floated around them and stayed in place.

Clamping her eyes shut against the tears, Kazuko threw her arm forward and finished the command, "Kyuuketsuki!! Blood Sucker!!"

Alexis screamed as the shards shot forward, piercing her body and staying in place halfway through.

"DAAAAMN IIIIIIIIIT!"

Kazuko screamed, preparing to let the bankai die, but when Shiraku-Onmoraki glared down at her, she swallowed her sobs and choked out, "S-second B-battle!!"

The great bird shook her head and dove, her great maw opening and devouring any and all corpses she found. As she ate, the bird grew fatter, skin stretching and any and all balding areas, open sores, and rotting flesh now clearly seen. The smell worsened.

While she was eating, Kazuko hugged herself and whispered, "Hagetaka: Carrion Eater."

Sated and energized, Shiraku-Onmoraki shook her head again and rose, flying up and flipping around to hover above Kazuko, waiting.

"Alexis…" Kazuko muttered, looking up. Tears streamed down her face when she saw her old friend had remained stationary, wounds bleeding and a blank look on her face. "I… I'm so sorry…"

Alexis twitched, her eyes locking on Kazuko. Then, one tendril of her clothes jumped to life and shot forward.

Kazuko gasped as she was pierced through the chest, the tendril shooting clear out the other side.

Choking as blood began to flow out of her mouth, Kazuko watched as the tendril pulled her closer and closer to Alexis until they were chest to chest.

"I…" Alexis whispered, "I will… remember…"

Gurgling on her own blood, Kazuko let her head fall forward and crash onto Alexis's.

Alexis closed her eyes, letting the memories she wanted flood back.

* * *

"_Hmph." Mayuri scoffed, looking around, "All dead or turning into Hollows. No one of interest here. Send them and we'll be on our way."_

"_W-wait!" Alexis, whose Chain of Fate had already begun the final deterioration, called out, "Save my friend! Please! I don't want her to die yet!"_

_The captain looked at her, frowning, "It's far too late for that. Look! Her Chain is already completely cut! Soon enough, she will be a Hollow. Best to purify her before that stage."_

"…_M-my Chain!" Alexis called out, pointing to her corpse, "You can use the Chain left on my body, right?! Please, save her!!"_

_Mayuri quirked a brow, "Splicing two Chains of Fate? …Hmm…" He smirked, "What an interesting experiment… Nemu! Take a link from that girl's Chain!" He knelt beside Amalia's writhing spirit, "Girl. Do you want to live?"_

"_Y-yes!!"_

_Alexis smiled and stumbled back, closing her eyes as her chain completely fell from her body. She managed to crawl out of sight as she began to turn into a Hollow, the original Hollow grabbing her and pulling her through a garganta as the transformation began to take place._

"_Good luck… Ama…"_

_Alexis was swallowed into black._

* * *

Alexis's eyes shot open. She remembered.

Amalia hadn't accepted the Chain out of selfishness… Alexis was the one who had told Mayuri to take it.

Tears spilled from the Arrancar's eyes.

Kazuko opened her eyes weakly, already feeling the effects of her spirit and mind beginning to unravel as the part of her that once belonged to Alexis returned to Alexis.

"I… I'm sorry, Alex… is…"

"No." She breathed, "I'm sorry."

But Kazuko didn't seem to hear her, "I… I'll make it alright, this time." She looked up, smiling, "This time, I'll go with you."

Above her, Shiraku-Onmoraki let out a lamenting wail.

Smiling, Kazuko hugged Alexis, not noticing the spears of solidified blood that impaled her, "You and I… we'll cross over together, alright? You won't be alone. I promise."

Alexis sobbed.

Kazuko didn't hear the cries of her friends around her as she muttered, "The End…"

She didn't hear, but rather felt, Shiraku-Onmoraki drive her own beak into her stomach, disemboweling herself and letting her rotten blood rain down as she began to devour her stomach.

"Shuuban, Kyuusei."

The bird of death let out a final cry as she began to fold in on herself, energy building up.

Then, she exploded, the shockwave her death sent out killing anyone and everyone who was close to death, be they friend or foe.

Together, Kazuko holding Alexis in a protective embrace, they fell…

Fell…

fell…

into death's welcoming embrace.


	50. Mulligan

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Amalia) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

(Mulligan)

"Alright, Kurosaki, what did you call us here for?" Shinji sneered.

Ichigo glared at the man, "Look, it wasn't me who wanted to talk to you all, alright? It was Orihime."

Orihime, now a married young woman and mother-to-be, smiled at everyone before her.

Only she could get the vizard, several of the captains, lieutenants, and seated officers, the Urahara Shop gang, and her husband and friends in one area and prevent them from fighting. She was just… 'Orihime' like that.

"Actually," She giggled, "It's not so much 'tell' as 'show'." She looked at the watch on her slim wrist, "They should be here soon…"

"Who?" Kuna asked.

Orihime's smile widened, "The children I've been hired to babysit! I want you all to meet them!"

The group groaned.

"Now, now," Ichigo smirked, "These two kids are… special."

Now the group was confused and mildly interested.

Impatient and angry, Hiyori opened her mouth and was about to ask when a car pulled up in front of the Urahara shop.

Orihime smiled at Kisuke, nodding and muttering her thanks for him temporarily lowering the barrier around his property.

A harried-looking woman in her thirties stepped out of the driver's side, smiling widely and waving to Orihime, "Sorry I'm late! Took a bit to find the place!"

"That would be my fault; sorry!" Orihime called back, giggling nervously, "I'm afraid I'm not good at giving directions."

The woman laughed, then walked around the car and opened the door, "Alright, you two, out! And behave for Mrs. Kurosaki and mind yourselves around her friends!"

"Yes, mama!" Two young, girlish voices chimed in unison, two blurs flashing out of the car a moment later.

One girl, a small brunette with green eyes and a wide smile, carrying a blue jay plushie, ran ahead of the other, forgetting her mother's instructions and ignoring the staring group around her as she squealed, "Miss Hime!!"

The second girl, an impatient looking blonde with short hair and blue eyes, caught up with her and punched her in the back of the head, stepping on her back and snapping, "Watch out for the baby, stupid Kei!!"

"Lemme up before I sick Haya on you, Aka!!"

"Right! 'Cause a stuffed bird is _so_ gonna hurt me."

"Now, now, you two." Orihime smiled patiently, waving to their mother as she drove off, "Be polite so I can introduce you to my friends."

When her sister's foot was off of her back, the brunette jumped to her feet and turned to the nearest person, a tall blonde man with jaw-length blonde hair, and smiled up at him, "Hi! I'm…" She trailed off as she stared at him, blinking, "Mr. Shinji?"

Shinji gapped.

Tilting her head, the brunette looked around, blinking, "Hiyori, Kuna, Rose, Lisa, Hachi, Kensei, Love, Ikkaku, Yumichika, Kenpachi, Yachiru, Jushiro, Byakuya, Renji, Rukia, Kisuke, Tessai, Yoruichi, Ururu, Jinta…" She trailed off, looking around and blinking, "And a whole buncha other people…"

Everyone stared at her, her sister asking, "You know all of these people?"

The girl was silent for a moment, then smiled widely, her eyes closing, "Nope! Never met any of them before!"

Her sister twitched, smacking the back of her head, "Stupid!"

Orihime giggled, smiling at the group, "Everyone, this is Keiko," She set a hand on the brunettes head, "And Akako," She set her other hand on the blonde's head, "Kawagaki. They're twins…"

"I'm the older one!" Akako declared proudly.

"And I'm the shorter one!!" Keiko smiled, paused, then frowned, "Wait a minute…"

Everyone laughed and Akako snickered, "Like _that's_ anything to brag about."

"That's alright." Hiyori told Keiko with a watery smirk, "Short girls get to have all the fun…" Her voice was a little thick and she rubbed her eyes quickly.

Shinji smirked at her, "Gonna cry, Yori?"

"Fuck off!" Hiyori growled at him, kneeling and hugging Keiko tightly.

"What's wrong, Miss Hiyori?" Keiko asked.

"Nothin'." Hiyori muttered, "I just… feel like I really missed you…"

"I missed you, too, Hiyori." Keiko whispered. She then smiled, "And I missed Mr. Shinji, and Rose, and Kuna, and—"

"We get it!" Shinji cut her off, smirking and ruffling her hair when Hiyori had let her go.

Akako blinked, lost, "I feel _soooo_ outta the loop…"

"You're not the only one." Jinta muttered, frowning.

"Ururu, Jinta, why don't you two take Kei and Aka around back and play a game?" Kisuke pulled out his fan.

While the other three ran off, Keiko stopped and stared at the fan, her eyes glassy.

"…Kei?" Orihime muttered.

Keiko blinked, then smiled and ran off, clutching her blue jay plushie close.

Shinji stared after her, "…Was that…"

Orihime smiled, "Kazuko and Alexis."

"They're together." Yoruichi smiled, "That's fortunate."

"Very fortunate." Kisuke snapped his fan open, covering his face, "A once in a millennia phenomena…"

"Well, the chances were more in their favor, anyway." Jushiro shrugged, "Since Kazuko not only harbored part of Alexis for so long, but also brought about Alexis's salvation, it's really only appropriate and natural for them to somehow have been related in this life."

"…What're the chances that they'll be dragged back into Seireitei dealings?" Hiyori asked, frowning.

"Of the two, Keiko is the only one who can see spirits." Ichigo shrugged, "But she has yet to encounter a Hollow. The Seireitei and I have made sure of that."

"…So, of the two, Keiko is the most likely to become a shinigami?" Kenpachi smirked, "That's great. I can face her bankai when she comes."

"We have been over this several times since then, Zaraki." Byakuya frowned, "Shiraku-Onmoraki Hayajihime was a kamikaze zanpakuto, a type destined from first activation to die before the end of the battle, taking its owner and any close to death with it. It was an indiscriminate last resort; a kind whose owner would end up in Maggot's Nest should it ever return."

Hiyori stiffened, "She'd better not end up as a shinigami if they know this, then…"

"She won't." Byakuya nodded. "And, she has been assured a comfortable, safe life when she returns; she'll never have to know that she is a potential shinigami."

"So, she'll spend out the rest of her soul's existence in peaceful ignorance, then?" Kenpachi frowned, "What a shame. With a bankai like that, things coulda gotten interestin'…"

"Aka!! Give her back!!"

Akako ran around the front of the building, smirking and clutching the blue jay plushie to her chest.

A distraught Keiko ran after her, "Aka!! Give Haya back!!"

"Make me!" Akako laughed.

Scowling, Keiko stopped running and glared at her sister's back, "Give. Haya. BACK!!"

The wind picked up and Akako tripped on air, the blue jay flying out of her hands.

Anger fleeing her face, Keiko smiled and ran forward, picking up her toy and turning back to her sister, "You alright?"

"Yeah." Akako stood, brushing her hands on her skirt. "Sorry."

Keiko shrugged, "Nah. …C'mon! Let's go back!" They ran back around the house.

"'Never have to know', eh?" Kenpachi snickered.

Jushiro smiled, sighing, "Looks like we'll have to keep an eye on her sooner than we thought…"

"Still," Kisuke lowered his fan, grinning, "At least her smile is real, now."

Around the back, Keiko smiled at Akako, hugging her bird plushie close to her chest.

* * *

Well, there you have it ladies and gentlemen; the end. Thank you all for staying with me to it, and I hope you had as much fun reading it as I did writing it!

Also, there is another chapter after this; "AU This Time, For Good". If you can't guess by the title, it is the... *drum-roll* Epilogue to "Open Eyes"!

If you want to see what happens with Kazuko and Nnoitra, read it. If you don't your journey with this story ends here.

...*is crying* I love you all!!


	51. AU This Time, For Good

Hehe, you didn't really think I was going to leave Kazu and Nnoi hangin' like that, didja? ...Well, I wouldn't. 'Cuz if I had, Halibel woulda killed me. ^.^'

As a side note, I'd like to thank Halibel Lecter for all she's done in helping me with this side story. After all, if she hadn't encouraged me, it wouldn't be here. So... all of you who are reading this, GO READ HER STORIES! And don't forget to review them! They're very good and entertaining. ^.^

**Thanks, Hal!!**

So, Ladies and Lazy Gents, here's the Epilogue to "Open Eyes".

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Amalia) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

(Epilogue: This Time, For Good)

Nagata Jukodo hated his life.

He hated his parents, he hated his condescending older sister, Nao, he hated his name (Nagata didn't fit him _at all_, in his opinion), and he especially hated the move.

"I just _know_ you'll love your new school, sweetie." His mother had cooed from the front seat of the car, "Karakura Middle has such a lovely campus, and the teachers and students are so friendly!"

Nagata hated friendly.

"Just try not to get kicked out of this one, eh, son?" His father had growled. "No more fighting."

Nagata hated his father.

Nagata loved fighting.

In the last three years, he had been kicked out of eight schools for fighting. He had also been to twelve different psychologists, seven counselors, two boot camps, and eighteen anger management classes. But they had all ended the same; with his whole family uprooting and moving to another town.

This town, the ninth, was Karakura Town; a fairly decent place by all accounts, with a close-knit community, several upstanding schools and a quick commute to the nearby Tokyo universities. The Jukodo family had taken up residence in a nice, comfortable apartment in a nice, respectable complex. And Nagata hated every bit of it.

"No fighting, Naga!" Nao called after him as he stepped out of the car, her dark green/black hair shimmering in its waves and her grey eyes narrowing at him.

Nagata gritted his teeth, glaring at his older sister. He especially hated _her_, in all of her 'perfection', how she was always jumping in to 'protect' him at the last minute because he was 'weaker' than her. One day… one day he'd show her.

"Whatever, Nao." He grumbled, turning towards the school.

"You sure you don't need us to go with you?"

"I got it." He rolled his dark eyes, "Not like we haven't been through this a thousand times."

"What your tone, young man." His father growled.

"Have a good day, sweetie!" His mother called as they drove off to Karakura High to drop off his sister, "We'll pick you up right after school! Love you!"

Nagata rolled his eyes again, then turned and trudged towards the school building. He was on his way to the roof, where he had planned on skipping the whole day, when something small darted around the corner in front of him and ran straight into his stomach, sending them both toppling.

"Owie, owie, owie…" The small form muttered into his chest, crawling off of him.

Twitching, Nagata sat up and turned to the form, glaring, "Watch where you're go—" He paused, staring at the brown-haired, green-eyed girl staring at him.

Both their eyes widened.

"Kazuko?…"

"Nnoitra?…"

"Uh… Hehe." The girl rubbed the back of her head sheepishly, smiling, "Sorry, you have the wrong person."

"So do you." Nagata growled, standing and walking off, looking around for the access stairway to the roof.

"I'm Keiko!" She ran after him, coming to a stop in front of him and smiling. "Keiko Kawagaki." When he brushed passed her, she ran up alongside him and went on, "You're new, right? I know _everyone_ here because we've all been together since grade school, but I don't know you."

"Yeah." Nagata muttered, turning sharply and heading up the stairs he had spotted, "I'm new."

"Uh… My class is the only one expecting a new student, and it's the other wa—" She stopped when a bell rang, "Gyah! I'm late!!"

Nagata was about to walk through the door when he heard a crash, followed by a thump. He turned and looked back down the stairs, blinking.

The girl, Kei-something-or-other, was lying down on the floor, passed out.

He made to turn away and go through the door, leaving her there, but something made him stop.

_Glancing to the left, he saw a shadow hunkered down on the other side of the pedestal, knees drawn up to its chest and head tucked into the small nook created by its arms._

_After pausing to consider just walking on, Nnoitra turned and walked towards the pedestal, staring down at the sleeping Kazuko with a blank expression._

Nagata shook his head, frowning, "The hell…" He tried, again, to walk away, but instead found himself standing over the girl and picking her up, walking up the stairs and onto the roof with her.

Leaning her against the shaded side of an air duct, he sat across from her and crossed his arms behind his head, closing his eyes and dozing.

Some time later, he looked up when she shifted and groaned, her hand rubbing a red spot on her forehead.

"What happened?"

"…I think you ran into a wall."

Keiko jumped, turning to Nagata and smiling. "Oh! It's you… Umm…" She rubbed the back of her head, "Hehe, sorry. I don't remember your name…"

"I never gave it." Nagata closed his eyes again.

"…Is this the roof?" She gasped, "Oh, no! How long was I—"

"'Bout thirty minutes." Nagata muttered.

When she gasped loudly he opened his eyes, blinking at the distraught look on her face. "I'm gonna be in so much trouble!!"

"Neh, don't worry about it." He shrugged, "I skip class all the time and the worst they ever did was call my parents."

"Call… my parents?!" Keiko squeaked.

Nagata groaned, "If you're that upset, just wait until after first break and go back. Tell the teacher you were in the bathroom sick or somethin'."

"Yeah." She sighed, "I guess…" She was silent for a moment, then turned to him and smiled, "Ya know, it's weird…"

Holding back several insults and a growl, Nagata glared at her and hissed, "What?"

"I called you 'Nnoitra' earlier…" She tilted her head, still smiling, "But I've never met anyone named 'Nnoitra'!" When he didn't say anything, Keiko blinked, "What made you call me 'Kazuko'?"

"No clue." He answered shortly.

"Isn't that funny?" Keiko giggled, "We both reminded each other of people we never met! And at the same time!"

"Hi-fuckin'-larious." Nagata growled, glaring at her harder, "If yer just gonna keep talkin', go away."

Keiko's smile faded a bit, "That's not very nice…"

"Hey, young man! Are you Nagata Jukodo?"

They both turned, Nagata glaring at the man frowning at them from the service door, "Yeah?"

The adult growled, "Go figure the troublemaker would head for the roof. Skipping class already, huh? Let me tell you something, Jukodo, we don't tolera—"

"Principal Takeshi!" Keiko jumped to her feet, smiling innocently at the principal, "Nagata was just telling me he was lost! I was about to take him to your office when you came up, and…"

The principal blinked, surprised, "Kawagaki?"

"He's in my class, right?" She went on, still smiling, "I'll just take him, then! C'mon, Nagata!" Keiko took his hand and pulled him to the door, bowing quickly to the principal as she passed. Down the stairs and after they had run through several halls, Keiko stopped in front of a door and turned to Nagata, smiling, "I think we got off on the wrong foot, so let's try this again, alright?" She backed away, bowing and saying, "Hello, my name is Keiko Kawagaki."

Nagata stared at her, shocked. 'I guess I owe her that much…' "Nagata Jukodo." He nodded, "And thanks for… ya know…" He grimaced, pointing up, "With the principal on the roof."

"Oh, that was no problem." Keiko smiled widely at him, "After all, what are friends for?" She giggled, then turned and ran into the classroom, door swinging shut after her.

He stared after her, quirking a brow, "'Friends', huh? Weird girl…" Rolling his eyes, Nagata turned to walk off but was stopped when the door opened again and Keiko poked her head out.

"C'mon!" She grabbed his arm and pulled.

Before he could protest, Nagata found himself standing in front of thirty pairs of staring eyes. He twitched.

"Jukodo, Nagata." The teacher muttered, crossing his name off on the list, "You'll be by Keiko. I trust you know who she is?"

"Yeah." Nagata scowled, slumping over to the bright-eyed Keiko, who had a window seat in the back of the class. He sat beside her.

"Isn't this great, Naga?" She muttered, excited, "Two friends sitting next to each other!"

"'Naga'?" He scowled. Only his sister called him that… and he hated it. "Look, Kawagaki, I'm not—"

"Call me Keiko." She cut him off, smiling. "Now, shh. The teacher's talking."

Nagata twitched. This was going to be a _looooong_ year.

* * *

"Freak."

Keiko winced, wiping blood out of the corner of her mouth and standing.

"Why don't you just stay down?!"

Nagata watched from the second story window as she took another hit, frowning when all she did was lean against the building and lower her head.

When the leader of the three boys who had cornered her drew back his fist, Nagata swung his legs over the windowsill and jumped, landing feet first on the boy. Regaining his balance, he kicked him in the mouth, glaring at the other two as the boy beneath him bled.

"Who's next?"

"Jukodo." One of them spat, helping the other as they picked up their leader, "We'll get you for this!"

As they left, Nagata turned to Keiko, frowning, "What the hell was that about?"

"Oh, they just don't like me because I can see ghosts." When he quirked a brow, she smiled widely and shrugged. "It happens every now and then. They usually stop before I bruise too badly…"

He scowled, "You shouldn't let them do shit like that to you. Why don't you tell someone?"

"_Because I'd rather no one get killed on my behalf."_

"What?" Nagata blinked.

"Uhhh…" Keiko tilted her head, "I said because I don't want anyone to get in trouble because of me."

"That's just stupid."

"I don't think it is."

"Well I do."

"Well, that's you." Keiko shrugged, "I'd rather take a hundred punches before I got someone expelled."

This made Nagata think, think about all the schools he had been expelled from for just threatening someone. But here was a girl who was taking beatings and telling no one.

"Idiot." He scowled, shaking his head and crossing his arms, "Well, I guess I'll just have to follow your sorry ass around and make sure you don't let yourself get hurt again, huh?"

Keiko just blinked, shocked.

"What?" He quirked a brow, smirking, "That's what friends are for, right?"

She blinked again, then smiled, "Yeah, something like that."

* * *

Several years came and went, and Nagata had surprised even himself when he found he was still in Karakura.

What surprised him even more, though, was that he and Keiko were still friends. From early junior high to now, their final year of high school.

Hell, he'd never thought he'd bother with upper secondary, but when Keiko had threatened to talk his parents into making him get a haircut, he hadn't had much of a choice. It'd taken him _years_ to get it as it was, long and black…

"Well, Naga, here we are." Keiko turned in her seat during break, smiling and resting her chin on the top of her chair, "The final weeks. What're you planning on doing when you graduate?"

Nagata rolled his eyes, "Plan ain't changed since you asked two hours ago, Kei. Movin' out of my parent's house and getting' a job in Tokyo or somethin'."

"What?" She blinked, "No university?"

"No." He quirked a brow, "What about you? Last I heard you babbling, you were checking out quite a few colleges. You get in anywhere?"

Keiko looked away at this, tracing small circles on his desk, "…I …got in… somewhere…"

Nagata blinked, smirking, "That's great. Where?"

She didn't face him. "…Hokkaido."

Nagata's smirk was gone in an instant. "Whoa… Hokkaido… Good job."

Keiko winced, lowering her face, "I'll come back every Christmas, but…"

"I won't." Nagata shrugged, "Soon as I can, I'm out of Karakura. I hate this place."

"…Then why did you stay so long?"

He looked away and didn't answer. He'd never admit that he'd stayed for…

"…I'll find you, alright?" When he turned back to her, Keiko looked up and smiled, "This Christmas I'll come to Tokyo and find you. We'll spend out first Christmas's out of our parent's houses together, Naga! Besides, like you can cook a proper Christmas dinner."

"Kei…" He smirked, "That sounds great."

"Kei! Jukodo!" They both looked up as Keiko's twin sister, Akako, waved to them, "Let's go! We're eating outside today!"

Keiko nodded, then smiled widely and took his hand, "C'mon, Naga!"

For once, he let her drag him, discretely lacing his fingers with hers.

"Those two are _so_ cute together." One of the girls who sat in front of Keiko whispered to her friend as the pair left the classroom.

"Are you kidding?! Jukodo would destroy her! Besides, they've been just friends since lower-secondary; he's obviously not interested."

"Nah." The first girl sighed, leaning against her palm and smiling dreamily, "They just don't know any better. Just you wait; as soon as they graduate, they'll be together."

* * *

"Ladies and Gentlemen, the graduating class of 2019."

Nagata smirked as the crowd clapped respectfully, glancing a few seats to his left to look for Keiko. His smirk faded when he saw her looking at the diploma in her hand, tears streaming down her face.

When everyone around him began to disperse, going to see their families, he turned and walked towards her, "Kei?" She didn't respond, "Keiko!"

Keiko jumped, looking at him with wide eyes.

"Kei, what's wro—" He stopped as she turned away, covering her face with her hands and running. "Kei, wait!"

But he lost her in the crowd.

That evening, his family celebrated, and he barely managed to escape them for five minutes to call her. All he got, though, was an answering machine. He tried again, but his father came and took the phone from him, dragging him back into the party and keeping him occupied all night.

Angry and confused, he went to her house the next day, knocking impatiently on her door for several minutes.

"Ugh, Jukodo?" Akako grumbled as she opened the door, pulling a robe around herself, "What're you doing here this early?"

"Where's Keiko?"

Akako frowned, "She didn't tell you?"

Nagata ground his teeth, irate, "Tell me what?"

"She left early this morning. Had to catch a flight to Sa—"

He turned and stormed off before she could finish, face deadpanned.

* * *

Keiko had fled Karakura as quickly as she could, packing her things and taking the first flight out of Tokyo the morning after their graduation. After sending her things to her apartment ahead of time, she had then spent the next few days wandering around the Sapporo, acquainting herself with the layout and securing a job.

Then, two days after arriving in Sapporo, Keiko finally made her way to her apartment.

"Your key?" The landlady blinked, "But your roommate took both sets when he got here. Knew your name, age, birthday, old address… everything. He said you wouldn't mind."

"Ah." Keiko blinked back, "Thank you…" Turning away, she frowned and headed up to her room.

In her room, she found all of her things had been unpacked and arranged. Shocked, she walked further into her apartment and looked around, yelping when a pair of arms wrapped around her waist.

"_Reaaal_ stupid of ya, Kei. Walkin' into a room when you know a stranger is waiting? _Reaaaaaal_ stupid."

"Eep!" Keiko jumped, thrashing in the arms, "Nagata?!"

"What's that?" He spun her around, quirking a brow down at her, "You ain't called me 'Nagata' in that tone in years, Kei. What the hell?"

"Wh-what're you doing here?!" She placed her hands on his chest and pushed, "I though you were working in Tokyo!"

Nagata snorted, "Well, I was. Then one of my only friends didn't say so much as a 'goodbye' or a 'good luck' before she packed up and left for Hokkaido, and I decided that just wasn't gonna cut it." He tightened his grip, staring down at her, "So I came here to ask, 'what the fuck?'"

"I-I…" Keiko looked away, "I… I couldn't… say anything. It would have seemed… too final."

"'Final'? But I thought you would come to see me for Christmas?"

"It… wouldn't have been the same." Keiko started to shake, "Only once, twice, or even three times a year? Even if I could afford more, it wouldn't have been the same. You and I were always just a seat away in school, and just a block or two away at home, but now… almost six hundred miles, Naga. _Six hundred_…" She lowered her head, "If I have to say 'goodbye' to you two or three times a year, every year for the rest of my life… I'd sooner have one less 'goodbye' or 'good luck' to say…" Keiko bit her lip, choking back a sob.

"…So, like a fuckin' coward, you just ran."

Keiko looked up, eyes wide, "Nnoi—"

He cut her off, kissing her. "You were gonna call me 'Nnoitra' again…" He smirked against her lips, "I have half a mind to be jealous, Kazuko." He blinked, then chuckled, "Heh, how hypocritical of me…"

She just stared up at him, eyes wide and tearing.

"Don't you dare cry." He muttered, grabbing her wrist and raising her hand, wiping her eyes with her own sweater sleeve, "You cried on me once after I told you not to. Don't do it again."

"Once?" She breathed, her eyes flickering closed as he kissed her forehead, "…I …I think I remember that… but… it was so long ago… and I wasn't who I am now…"

"Forget that. Some fuckin' life that's already been lived doesn't matter." Nagata muttered, kissing her again, "I told you once, in this life, that I was going to have to follow your sorry ass around to make sure you didn't let yourself get hurt. I meant it, Keiko." He brushed her hair out of her face, "I'm here to stay."

"…What?"

"I got a job here, in Sapporo." He held her face in both of his hands, "I'm not leaving you."

"…Naga?" Keiko whispered as he walked forward, pushing her backwards until her legs hit her futon.

"I love you, Kei." Nagata muttered, kissing her again as he lowered her onto the bed, "Fuck, I love you so much."

Keiko smiled, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing back, "I love you, too, Nagata."

He straddled her, sighing and burying his head against her neck at the contentment of feeling her slim hips beneath him. It was… nostalgic. "Fuck, I've missed this so much."

This should have confused them both, because neither of them had ever been this intimate before…

…At least, not in this life.

"So have I." She replied, lacing her fingers through his hair and sobbing, "Nagata, I've missed you so much…"

"Shhh…" He pressed a finger to her lips, raising his head and replacing it with a gentle kiss, "It's alright, Keiko. We're together now.

"This time, for good."

* * *

And now, depending on whether you like this or not, I suppose, I give you all the end to "Days of our Afterlife".

^.^ Hope you liked it!


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